As I had built my own vibrating chair with four relatively inexpensive tactile transducers or "bass shakers" I also decided that the price of the Backbeat was too high.
However, I now have one and can happily confirm that the effect is very similar to my homemade device. So is it over priced?
Well, let's see, my 4 speakers were about £15 each. But then I also needed a chair. Lots of wiring. Oh and an amp. Which needs power, so either a speaker cable runs to my chair or a mains cable does and the amp has somehow to attach to the chair. Only the Elf has the appropriate dimensions.
So time, effort, a chair, an amp and I have built a system which surrounds me with throbbing bass. Oh I forgot my R&D costs - there was an early prototype which overheated and melted.
The Backbeat still comes out a little more expensive. But here's the thing - it produces as big an effect as my cumbersome 4 speaker loaded chair while being small enough to fit on my strap. With no external amp, and no external power.
In fact, turn it up and the effect is way more powerful.
The cost of designing and producing something so portable and yet so effective, then shipping it around the world and making money for yourself and the retailer, does, I believe, make this a fair price.
Of course something is only worth what it's worth to each individual customer. I have yet to use it live but I can immediately see how it will transform my rehearsal regime. With aux in and headphones out I can enjoy playing at any time without disturbing those I share a house with. And it's already attached to the bass. Nothing to set up.