Is "The Haunting" still a bass reference disk today, or is it overshadowed by more capable films ? Because I was thinking of buying a new disk or two and I've seen WOTW and thought it was great, but I need something different with a lot of wow moments.

I've watched Flight of the Phoenix but I don't think that I should buy the film for two bassy scenes though. Any other contenders that are reference disks for bass as well as being quite good ?

--Sincerely,

>And where exactly should those programmers get out and experience fighting techniques of a 25' tall gorilla against three T-Rex's?

OK, good point. maybe Skull Island? My pet peeve is when the writers create a fantasy world, but then do stupid things within that fantasy world, like the ape kung fu stuff I referred to.

>And where exactly should those programmers get out and experience fighting techniques of a 25' tall gorilla against three T-Rex's?

OK, good point. maybe Skull Island? My pet peeve is when the writers create a fantasy world, but then do stupid things within that fantasy world, like the ape kung fu stuff I referred to.


OK, I really don't want to become a major part of this conversation but aren't the martial arts for the most parts created from the movements of animals. So the animals must have had the kung fu first.

Is "The Haunting" still a bass reference disk today, or is it overshadowed by more capable films ?...
The dts version, at least, continues to be one of the best bass demo discs. It may be equaled occasionally, and some others may have spectacular individual scenes, but I doubt it will ever be totally overshadowed.

Watched Jumanji the other night with the kids. I had forgotten how much bass this movie has!

Watched "We Were Soldiers". Not sure the movie didn't suck, but the bass was pretty impressive. Lots of action from artillery, helicopters and the soundtrack itself had a LOT of very low stuff especially in the early part of the film where they were getting ready to leave for 'Nam.

Watched Behind Enemy Lines DTS with my new sub. Amazing what bass can add to the movie experience.

Munich. Comes only in spurts, but the bass was good. Oh yeah, and the movie doesn't suck.

Munich. Comes only in spurts, but the bass was good. Oh yeah, and the movie doesn't suck.

Indeed, I was just about to mention this one, saw this a few days ago and there are some sort of tension-building bass parts that are pretty slick. And while I wasn't a big fan of the movie, it certainly doesn't 'suck' by any stretch.

For a kid movie `Over the Hedge' had a nice bottom end. THe BEar was very `Entish (talking trees from LOTR). The propane tank scene sounded sub 30HZ.

I don't quite get it. If you spend any time at all calibrating your system, why would you ever adjust it? Comments like "well, I forgot I had turned down/up my sub..." just don't make any sense to me.

Eric Clapton Live DVD. Excellent low end, Tears in Heaven excellent for demo-ing.

The other tried-and-true LFE movies have been mentioned countless times in the thread. Some bad movies ARE made better by having a sound engineer spend some time working on some good LFE. I've had people over who leave comments like "that was a whole lot better than I was expecting." Movies that fall into this category were Hellboy, Doom, and War of the Worlds. I think the LFE stuff had a big role to play. If we instead watched with tv speakers, some people might just opt to leave early or talk with one another.

I don't quite get it. If you spend any time at all calibrating your system, why would you ever adjust it? Comments like "well, I forgot I had turned down/up my sub..." just don't make any sense to me.


Not sure where that was stated, but I agree. Calibrated flat is the goal.

The Incredibles

:)

I just watched The Gladiator a little (DTS version) and the sound is awesome. I just watched the opening scene (fight scene) and the arrow scene is just awesome. The arrows whizzing by from the surround made it seem so real. I can't wait to finish the movie. Any good scene I just be aware of? Any good low bass scene you guys recall? I'll keep my eyes (ears) open.

I just watched The Gladiator a little (DTS version) and the sound is awesome. I just watched the opening scene (fight scene) and the arrow scene is just awesome. The arrows whizzing by from the surround made it seem so real. I can't wait to finish the movie. Any good scene I just be aware of? Any good low bass scene you guys recall? I'll keep my eyes (ears) open.

Battle of Carthage is 1st one that comes to mind

The new version of Crimson Tide has some impressive bass.

While it is true that I haven't gone through all my movies (not even close) since I got my new sub, I believe I just watched the new Queen of LFE flicks. Underworld Evolution. Beginning to end, almost nonstop really low, shake-the-walls powerful stuff. I was actually sweating by the end. And Kate Beckinsale ain't hard to watch either.

I believe it is soon to be released on BluRay, so if you got the player, wait for it.

While it is true that I haven't gone through all my movies (not even close) since I got my new sub, I believe I just watched the new Queen of LFE flicks. Underworld Evolution. Beginning to end, almost nonstop really low, shake-the-walls powerful stuff. I was actually sweating by the end. And Kate Beckinsale ain't hard to watch either.

I believe it is soon to be released on BluRay, so if you got the player, wait for it.

Wierd - I just watched this movie tonight - and I wasn't blown away by the bass at all? Granted there was plenty of bass but nothing like U-571 - War of the Worlds, or Master and Commander. Maybe I need to take a look at my settings.

Kate Beckinsale on the otherhand ... mmmmmmmmm ... good night now!

Wierd - I just watched this movie tonight - and I wasn't blown away by the bass at all? Granted there was plenty of bass but nothing like U-571 - War of the Worlds, or Master and Commander. Maybe I need to take a look at my settings.

Kate Beckinsale on the otherhand ... mmmmmmmmm ... good night now!

Because so many people refer to these as reference LFE movies, and because I don't watch movies over and over, I have held these in reserve until I finish my upgrades.

I found the LFE in UE was deep, powerful, and relentless. During the movie, I paused it and changed my subs tuning from 20Hz to 16Hz and things got even better.

I found the LFE in UE was deep, powerful, and relentless. During the movie, I paused it and changed my subs tuning from 20Hz to 16Hz and things got even better.

What kind of sub do you have, and how big is your room?

I recently got a VTF-3 Mk2 for my 14.5x22.5 room, and started in 20Hz tuning mode (flat to about 16-17Hz). Calibrated to 1-2dB hot (reading same on SPL meter with Avia tones), I found the bass lacking with WoTW and other material at near-ref level. Running the sub hotter, I heard a lot of turbulence in the single port. Switching to the 25Hz tune (flat to about 19-20Hz), the calibration level was the same, but this change (amp's eq different, two ports open) gave me an extra 4dB of headroom. At the same calibrated level, much more bass and impact, no port noise from the air. If my room was smaller, the 20Hz tune might work. But I have opted for more impact rather than a few extra Hz I of inaudible bass. Or if I had a second VTF-3 (I wish...).

Anyway, I'm just wondering about your experience.

My next upgrade is a some panels from GIK acoustics for front corners and first reflection points. I already get pretty flat response, but the panels should clean up the bass and give me more bass (by minimizing reflection and cancellation), and get rid of a lot of reflected mids/highs so I get more of a "headphone stereo" effect from the mains.

What kind of sub do you have, and how big is your room?

If I count all the connected space, my room is 8,812 ft^3. It's a very ugly space for HT. The living room, which is my HT room, has a vaulted ceiling, it is open to the dining room, which is open to the kitchen, which is open to the family room, which is open through a hall back to the living room. On the left of the living room is an open staircase to the second floor. My sub, an SVS PB12 +/2, is located on the right side, about mid way between my right main and the LP. I sit 12' from the screen and about 5-6' from the sub. The sub actually sits on the fireplace hearth. I use 4" rigid home insulation to close up the fireplace.

My living room/HT has a large volume due to the vaulted ceiling, but not much floor space. I have to leave the left side open because it is the main thoroughfare. I have a 65" Mits RPTV. I have a huge entertainment center around it (my wife's requirement) that takes up the entire wall. I can't get tower mains because there isn't any floor space. I have Bose (I know, this is my next upgrade) 301 bookshelf mains, a Bose VCS-10 center, and Bose 161 surrounds. These will all get replaced this year with Axioms, Ascends, or SVS MTS-01.

I had not used the 16Hz tuning on the +/2 until last night. I did notice some lowering of the overall SPL (didn't measure), but it did seem to bring in a little more bottom end (not measured). This did not reduce the impact of the whole sound and I'm sure I have enough headroom that I can increase the gain if needed.

I have not EQed the system. Still trying to decide if I want to go SMS-1 or BFD. I have no bass treatments. I do get some boominess at a couple of freqs. But not enough during movie playback to bother me. It is more noticeable with music, but I rarely listen to music anymore.

I haven't calibrated at the 16Hz tuning. I just paused the movie, threw in a second plug, and changed the low cut filter.

I will try to get time to do some A/B comps of a scene between the 20 and 16Hz tuning and see if I really hear what I thought I was hearing. It's difficult to really tell the difference when you can't just go A-B-A-B, but have to go A, stop, make changes, B, stop, make changes, A...

I don't know how Craig has the patience to run the shootouts when he has to change out whole subs. Must be exhausting.

Sorry to ramble. Too much? See measurements below.

.........I found the LFE in UE was deep, powerful, and relentless. During the movie, I paused it and changed my subs tuning from 20Hz to 16Hz and things got even better.
This is indeed great news. I have this one on deck for tonight. I LOVE the demon chasing the truck scene (saw it in theater). Will report back tomorrow!

I found the LFE in UE was deep, powerful, and relentless. During the movie, I paused it and changed my subs tuning from 20Hz to 16Hz and things got even better.

How well is your system calibrated? I just watched flight of the Pheonix (crash scene) to make sure my sub still "had it" and yea - it still does. Super powerful bass in that scene. Maybe I'm just so used to good bass I didn't notice it much in Underworld.

Watched UE last night. Very entertaining flick. Much better than the original, IMO. I thought the LFE was good, but definitely not remarkable.

How well is your system calibrated? I just watched flight of the Pheonix (crash scene) to make sure my sub still "had it" and yea - it still does. Super powerful bass in that scene. Maybe I'm just so used to good bass I didn't notice it much in Underworld.

I should learn not to give my opinion here. Now you guys are going to make me do work. :eek:

My room is similar to ransac, vaulted and footage, but my sub is behind the seating area.
Some movies fill the room with pressure just like others experience, then some are a
disappointment.

Open Range, FotP and WotW are my favorites to demo because they sound and feel
spectacular in my room. I've heard the same scenes in someone else's room with the same
sub and to me didn't have the same impact.

How well is your system calibrated? I just watched flight of the Pheonix (crash scene) to make sure my sub still "had it" and yea - it still does. Super powerful bass in that scene. Maybe I'm just so used to good bass I didn't notice it much in Underworld.

Looks like I was running the sub a little hot. Set everything the same as I watched UE and ran AVR test tones:
MV = -7, 16Hz tune, RS meter C/slow
Readings:
FL = 81
C = 86
FR = 79
SL = 76
SR = 76
SW = 94 yeah, just a little hot

Played chapter 20, helo lifts off and ship explodes. Read 108 to 114 on the meter.
Played chapters 25-26, hocky puck bombs/helo crash. Read 108 to 112 on the meter.

Changed to 20Hz tune and played same chapters:
Chapter 20 read 108 to 114
Chapters 25-26 read 109 to 116

Wife wants to take a nap. Will take readings with meter set to fast to get peaks.

Then I will recal and run again.

Note: I am working to get FM radio to sound good and that is why my settings are so far off. I find that FM radio is very hard to dial in. Different stations and different songs on the same station are all over the map. So I tweak by ear to find a good balance, but it really screws up my calibration. The reason my center is hot is it doesn't match well with the mains.

The only DVDs, that many people refer to as demo material, that I have watched since getting my +/2 is Nemo and Haunting. Darla tapping is a good demo, but much of the movie is subdued. Haunting was great and had some really low stuff. What I liked about UE is the quantity of LFE.

4 hours later.

Ran same setup but with RS meter set to fast. No noticeable differences.

Set MV to -5 and used internal TT to cal speakers to 75db. It was tough to get the sub that low. Had to turn gain down from fourth tick (10:30) to under the third tick (8:45). Set sub to the 16Hz tune.

Ran same scenes:
Chapter 20 = 98-102db
Chapters 25-26 = 98-102 with 104db peaks.

Conclusion:
If you watched with a cal'ed system, the LFE wasn't that special. Run HOT and it rocks. I think I will be running hot from now on.

Me thinks me likes 110+db. :D

Oh, Kate B. is still fine to watch at any volume.

I don't quite get it. If you spend any time at all calibrating your system, why would you ever adjust it? Comments like "well, I forgot I had turned down/up my sub..." just don't make any sense to me.

Eric Clapton Live DVD. Excellent low end, Tears in Heaven excellent for demo-ing.

The other tried-and-true LFE movies have been mentioned countless times in the thread. Some bad movies ARE made better by having a sound engineer spend some time working on some good LFE. I've had people over who leave comments like "that was a whole lot better than I was expecting." Movies that fall into this category were Hellboy, Doom, and War of the Worlds. I think the LFE stuff had a big role to play. If we instead watched with tv speakers, some people might just opt to leave early or talk with one another.

Today I found out I like to run my sub very hot. Flat might be good for music, but bump the LFE as needed/wanted for movies.

You can call me crazy, but I run my sub 20dB higher than the other 5 speakers. My SPL shows all my speakers at 75dB while my sub is at 95dB. I like it that way.

Cadd,

What's your normal listening volume compared to reference level?

My room is similar to ransac, vaulted and footage, but my sub is behind the seating area.
Some movies fill the room with pressure just like others experience, then some are a
disappointment.

Open Range, FotP and WotW are my favorites to demo because they sound and feel
spectacular in my room. I've heard the same scenes in someone else's room with the same
sub and to me didn't have the same impact.

Does it sound better before the Jelly Belly factory tour, or after? (sugar high) :)

I thought about behind the couch, but that is right at the boundary of the living room and the dining room. I've heard that was a big no-no.

BTW, that is a nice looking sub. I wanted a premium finish, but they stopped the Walnut and the rest didn't fit my furniture.

Watched last night and all I can says is WOW!. Just the quantity/quality of bass and LFE in this movie should satisfy most any basshead's cravings. Not to mention the outstanding use and mixing of the surrounds. Another bonus is the (IMO) outstanding PQ. There's plenty here that rates as demo material. Definitely qualifies as as subwoofer movie that DOES NOT SUCK.

Hey Craig, you might enjoy taking this one for a spin on those dual Maestro XLs.

For you guys who are showing 18db differences in your setups, if you haven't already, please see Bossobass's Subwoofer Setup Guide (http://av123forum.com/showthread.php?threadid=3418&perpage=15&pagenumber=1). His article is frequently cited as REFERENCE for subwoofer setup. Put in the time and effort, it's hard work but really pays off in the end.

Cadd,

What's your normal listening volume compared to reference level?
That went completely over my head.

When I ran the test tones on my receiver, I set the master volume to -20 and all my speakers were set to 76dB or so. The sub is at 95dB.

When I listen to music or watch DVDs, I normally turn the volume to -20 or so. It depends. Using my SPL that would be in the 90dB range.

That went completely over my head.

When I ran the test tones on my receiver, I set the master volume to -20 and all my speakers were set to 76dB or so. The sub is at 95dB.

When I listen to music or watch DVDs, I normally turn the volume to -20 or so. It depends. Using my SPL that would be in the 90dB range.


If your receiver master volume is at -20 and you use the receiver tones to calibrate the speakers to 76dB, then -21 is your reference level (75dB w/ receiver tones). That means you listen AT reference level, with your subwoofer 20dB hot. Most people seem to be able to get close to reference level at the most, with actual reference level being too much for their rooms (I usually watch movies at about -5 or so).

What kind of subwoofer do you have, and how big is your room? You probably get a ton of compression where the subwoofer can't keep up. That means your sub just poops and can't play any louder for the actual loud stuff, and all the bass is pretty much at the same volume level. It's like having your brightness (black level) too low and all the dark areas blend into one black mass. I'm sure you'd find that you get much more detail and definition and texture to bass in movies if you ran your sub balanced with your speakers. Read my first post on this thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=640646&highlight=H100) to see what happened when I actually calibrated my sub to be balanced with my other speakers.

You are asking it to reproduce up to 135-140dB (max LFE at reference level is 115dB), and you'd have to have multiple huge subs in a very small room to hit that.

Your system is very much out of whack, but if you enjoy it that way, it's totally up to you to run it that way. :D

Your system is very much out of whack, but if you enjoy it that way, it's totally up to you to run it that way. :D

If you look back at post 277, you see my set up before and after. When I ran my sub hot, I did enjoy the movie more than running at Ref. The one thing I didn't try (I will try later today) is to calibrate with the MV at -5 (maybe I should cal at an even lower MV), and then play back at -2. All I know is that playing at Ref level, I didn't get the impact of the LFE because it only went to 102, instead of 114db.

I will recal with the MV at -10 and then play back at -5 to -2. My only reservation to this is the 5.0 speakers will be too loud. I will see (hear) today.

You will see my answer to your question about my room and sub in post 271.

Watched last night and all I can says is WOW!. Just the quantity/quality of bass and LFE in this movie should satisfy most any basshead's cravings. Not to mention the outstanding use and mixing of the surrounds. Another bonus is the (IMO) outstanding PQ. There's plenty here that rates as demo material. Definitely qualifies as as subwoofer movie that DOES NOT SUCK.

Do you have your system cal'ed? Can you post your settings and measurements and where you set MV while playing the movie. I guess we are trying to determine if UE had great LFE because I was running the sub very hot, or if with a cal'ed system raising the MV would have produced the same effect.

Some have said the LFE wasn't that great and you and I think it was marvelous. Though I do think they suppressed the three big explosions. They just weren't as big as they could have been compared to other sound effects. I knew the explosions were coming and I braced myself based on other sounds and it just didn't materialize.

My room is similar to ransac, vaulted and footage, but my sub is behind the seating area.
Some movies fill the room with pressure just like others experience, then some are a
disappointment.

Open Range, FotP and WotW are my favorites to demo because they sound and feel
spectacular in my room. I've heard the same scenes in someone else's room with the same
sub and to me didn't have the same impact.

Kweezer,
Did I count 3 subs in your setup?
Javry

Kweezer,
Did I count 3 subs in your setup?
Javry

3!! Nope, just one. Just the progression of upgraditis, PDR10 1st, then PB2+, now the PB2ultra.

If it has not been mentioned on this thread.

The movie "Irriversible" will cook your subwoofer.

I was not expecting bass like this from this movie, not WOTW's earth-shattering bass but probably the most SUSTAINED LFE I have EVER heard. By sustained I'm talking 20-25 minutes of straight low pulsating LFE, it just would not let up, damn near the whole movie the LFE was pumping. Made me fear for my sub more than WOTW's did.

Now this IS NOT A FAMILY movie, it contained scenes of graphic violence and the most intense rape scene I've ever witnessed, so don't watch this with kids and maybe not the wife, if so warn her. I didn't watch it with my wife and she came down to see what all the noise was about and I literally yelled "Get Back!!!" scared the crap out of her, but I didn't want my wife to see that. I'll admit the bizarre nature of this film had me on the edge, I didn't know what the director was going to pull next, I mean if a dark silent scene came on my mind was racing as to what evil was awaiting, it was a nice thrill ride. It's a french film, they are crazy, no offense but that was my second french film in a few days and both were well beyond american sensibilities, the french directors pull few punches. Now the movie is not grossly violent but there is an intensity to it. If has a similiar backwards storytelling like "Momento" It was like "Momento" on Extascy.

If anyone has seen this movie with a good subsystem chime in but I thought the bass was stellar and if it weren't for the nature of the film it would be a reference for me.

What kind of subwoofer do you have, and how big is your room?

........Your system is very much out of whack, but if you enjoy it that way, it's totally up to you to run it that way. :D
I have the SVS PB-10NSD and my room is pretty small. It's about 9ft x 11ft with 8ft ceilings. The only 2 small openings are small doorways.

If I turn down the gain on the sub, and calibrate it at 76dB like the other 5 speakers, I find that the bass is lacking :(

Do you have your system cal'ed? Can you post your settings and measurements and where you set MV while playing the movie. I guess we are trying to determine if UE had great LFE because I was running the sub very hot, or if with a cal'ed system raising the MV would have produced the same effect.

Some have said the LFE wasn't that great and you and I think it was marvelous. Though I do think they suppressed the three big explosions. They just weren't as big as they could have been compared to other sound effects. I knew the explosions were coming and I braced myself based on other sounds and it just didn't materialize.

Yes the system has been calibrated with the RS meter, Avia and a BFD for my PB10 to 85db. HOWEVER, I've since connected another sub (think along lines of Dayton 12) as I'm toying with the concept of adding a second sub. Yesterday afternoon I did a basic calibration with the two subs connected. I used the AVR test tones to level match each sub independantly. I then played both subs together and used the AVR LFE volume to get about 4db hot, about the range I like it. I then played familiar music and adusted phase on the second sub until I achieved what I felt was optimum sound quality. This is a basic calibration. I watched this movie with both subs on and the BFD out of the loop.

I agree that the explosions could've had more pressurization to them, but they certainly weren't lacking. This movie had it's moments, like when the winged Marcus first descends from above, his flapping wings reminded me of the nazgools in ROTK. This movie might not have the WotW, Open Range, Darla tapping, U-571, Frodo hearbeat, M&C cannon blast classic moments. but certainly made more continuous use of the LFE channel than any recent movie I can recall. I've suggested to thebland he put this one in the review queue, I'll defer to his reference system whether this one makes the all time list, but for me it clearly does.

Once I've made a final decision on the second sub, I'll go through the effort of fine tuning with the BFD and Avia. It just doesn't make sense for me to do it at this point.

I have the SVS PB-10NSD and my room is pretty small. It's about 9ft x 11ft with 8ft ceilings. The only 2 small openings are small doorways.

If I turn down the gain on the sub, and calibrate it at 76dB like the other 5 speakers, I find that the bass is lacking :(

When you calibrate (should be 75dB for most receiver's test tones), that gives you your reference level # on your receiver's volume adjustment. If you are listening at that level or 5 notches below that, you should have more than enough bass with that sub in that tiny room.

Do you know what kind of frequency response you are getting? My instincts tell me that you probably have really bad bass response, with a big dip/s, which require you to turn the bass way up to get any impact.

You should run some Avia sweep tones (or download from realmofexcursion.com and burn to a CD) to see how flat or bumpy your response is. If you detect a problem, you can experiment with placement of your sub and/or seating position to get flatter response. You may also want to invest ($120 or so) into some bass traps (ie., from GIK Acoustics) for the front corners of your room to help smooth out the bass and give you more bass (by reducing overlap/cancellation).

I never used Avia before. When I get a chance, I'll download the test tones from the site you mentioned. Right now the sub is placed in front of the FR speaker. The other place I can place the sub is right next to me on the side of the sofa.

I tried that as well and it sounds the same. I guess you're right......my room probably gets me really bass response.

One thing you'll want to check is phase, or whether the "phase" setting on the sub is correct. If it's not correct, you could be getting some major cancellation like in the graph I've posted (blue line). In my experience, with 2 different subs I've had in two different rooms, with the sub placed hear the front of the room on the right along the right wall, a phase setting of 180 has worked best. As you can see from the blue line in the graph, a setting of 0 gave me a huge dip in bass.

My phase is set at 0. I tried setting it at 180 and it sounds the same. The sub is right up against the right wall.....about 2ft from the front wall.

Dumb question. I went to www.realmofexcursion.com and went to the "download" section. Which file should I download and save onto a CD? So many to choose from. I see see pink noise, white noise, brown noise, sine waves, sine wave sweeps, slow warble, medium warble.....

If you can pin-point the exact file I need, I would greatly appreciate it. Sorry for being such a newbie.

Get some sweep tones that go from high to low or vice versa.

You can also get some tones for individual frequencies (around your crossover range, specifically) and see if there is a difference in volume at each frequency with the two phase settings.

Cool. I just downloaded them. Burning them in CD format now. 2 questions:

1 - There's a sweep from 1Hz to 35Hz. Will there be any damage if I play this? My sub goes down to 20Hz, but I really don't want to damage it by playing test tones in the single digits.

2 - For the 10Hz to 100Hz sweep, how would I know which frequency is playing? Basically, is my goal is to get the same volume (dB) during the sweep?

Cool. I just downloaded them. Burning them in CD format now. 2 questions:

1 - There's a sweep from 1Hz to 35Hz. Will there be any damage if I play this? My sub goes down to 20Hz, but I really don't want to damage it by playing test tones in the single digits.

2 - For the 10Hz to 100Hz sweep, how would I know which frequency is playing? Basically, is my goal is to get the same volume (dB) during the sweep?


Don't try the 1-35Hz tone.

For the 10-100Hz tone, there's no way to tell what frequency you're at. With Avia, you get the on-screen readout telling you what frequency you're at.

But even if you don't know the frequency, you can see how flat or uneven it is. If you have a general idea where the dips are, you can test with individual tones.

If you want to test individual frequencies, get the single frequency tones and play them one at a time (with enough time between tracks for the sub to cool off - 10-20 seconds for every 10 seconds played should be enough).

There are pre-made Excel sheets with graphs, so all you have to do is input the SPL and it will make the graph for you and factor in the Radio Shack compensation numbers, if you want to take that extra step.

There are pre-made Excel sheets with graphs, so all you have to do is input the SPL and it will make the graph for you and factor in the Radio Shack compensation numbers, if you want to take that extra step.

Are these excel sheets online to be downloaded?

Are these excel sheets online to be downloaded?


I'm attaching the one I use.
You can put up to 3 sets of measurements into one graph. Copy the sheet to other tabs for different tests.

Does anyone think we're getting waaaaayyy off topic yet?

Here (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=550928) is a thread I started almost a year ago.

It's prolly time to start a new one though. No, DEFINITELY start a new thread.

Cool, thanks Cyber, having the RS corrections is a greater bonus :)

Does anyone think we're getting waaaaayyy off topic yet?...
Yep! :p

There are lots of threads on calibration. And, by the way, the RS corrections have been in the top sticky here for a long. long time. :rolleyes:

Now, has anyone come across any good subwoofer DVD's lately that haven't been mentioned?

ch12 of the New World

I'm looking for some feedback on this one myself.

If it has not been mentioned on this thread.

The movie "Irriversible" will cook your subwoofer.

I was not expecting bass like this from this movie, not WOTW's earth-shattering bass but probably the most SUSTAINED LFE I have EVER heard. By sustained I'm talking 20-25 minutes of straight low pulsating LFE, it just would not let up, damn near the whole movie the LFE was pumping. Made me fear for my sub more than WOTW's did.

Now this IS NOT A FAMILY movie, it contained scenes of graphic violence and the most intense rape scene I've ever witnessed, so don't watch this with kids and maybe not the wife, if so warn her. I didn't watch it with my wife and she came down to see what all the noise was about and I literally yelled "Get Back!!!" scared the crap out of her, but I didn't want my wife to see that. I'll admit the bizarre nature of this film had me on the edge, I didn't know what the director was going to pull next, I mean if a dark silent scene came on my mind was racing as to what evil was awaiting, it was a nice thrill ride. It's a french film, they are crazy, no offense but that was my second french film in a few days and both were well beyond american sensibilities, the french directors pull few punches. Now the movie is not grossly violent but there is an intensity to it. If has a similiar backwards storytelling like "Momento" It was like "Momento" on Extascy.

If anyone has seen this movie with a good subsystem chime in but I thought the bass was stellar and if it weren't for the nature of the film it would be a reference for me.

Now, has anyone come across any good subwoofer DVD's lately that haven't been mentioned?


The subject matter is pretty heavy, but the sound design in Munich is great. There are some great explosions, and a couple of spots where trains go by (off-screen) that you can really hear and feel. The gunshots and gunfights are spectacular as well.

The subject matter is pretty heavy, but the sound design in Munich is great. There are some great explosions, and a couple of spots where trains go by (off-screen) that you can really hear and feel. The gunshots and gunfights are spectacular as well.

I found the movie to be slow. Not boring, just too slow for those of us with ADD. That first bomb in the hotel was great. I knew it was coming and I was still startled by the force (no, not that force).

I found the movie to be slow. Not boring, just too slow for those of us with ADD. That first bomb in the hotel was great. I knew it was coming and I was still startled by the force (no, not that force).


The first gunshots by the elevator were pretty startling too.
I think the gunfights in this were Open Range-level stuff, although I've only seen certain scenes of Open Range.

We watched at -5 (cal w/ Avia), and the sound blew us away.

I'm looking for some feedback on this one myself.
Re: Irreversible

From the AVS archives located here. (http://archive.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=288219&highlight=Irreversible) Didn't see anyone mention anything about great bass, just the shocking content.

A more recent thread here. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=498892)

From these threads "veiwer discretion" is highly advised. This (my) post may or may not display correctly because apparently linking to archives is not allowed. If so, search the AVS Archive DVD movie discussions and reviews forums using "Irreversible" as the term and search thread titles only.

Re: Irreversible

From the AVS archives located here. (http://archive.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?threadid=288219&highlight=Irreversible) Didn't see anyone mention anything about great bass, just the shocking content.

A more recent thread here. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=498892)

From these threads "veiwer discretion" is highly advised. This (my) post may or may not display correctly because apparently linking to archives is not allowed. If so, search the AVS Archive DVD movie discussions and reviews forums using "Irreversible" as the term and search thread titles only.


Same here, I heard more about the content but as I said I wasn't expecting the bass I heard. That's why I wanted others to check it out and let me know if it was just me. Remember I said 20+ minutes of sustained LFE, no kidding, that should be enough to peak a bass lovers interest. It sneaks up on you trust me, you're engrossed in the film the bass is this steady undercurrent, you look at the time and holy crap that's some long bass, and it builds and builds. I don't knew if the other viewers run subs or if they are bass lovers etc... JeffD2 rent it and let me know. Hell I may have to rent it again to make sure I'm not crazy.

Maybe I can get craigsub to rent it to test with those two new maestro XL's or maybe the Bland since he likes doing reviews.

Get Shervin to play it on his system. That'll tell the tale.

Same here, I heard more about the content but as I said I wasn't expecting the bass I heard. That's why I wanted others to check it out and let me know if it was just me. Remember I said 20+ minutes of sustained LFE, no kidding, that should be enough to peak a bass lovers interest. It sneaks up on you trust me, you're engrossed in the film the bass is this steady undercurrent, you look at the time and holy crap that's some long bass, and it builds and builds. I don't knew if the other viewers run subs or if they are bass lovers etc... JeffD2 rent it and let me know. Hell I may have to rent it again to make sure I'm not crazy.

Maybe I can get craigsub to rent it to test with those two new maestro XL's or maybe the Bland since he likes doing reviews.

I'll rent it and give my Rythmik a workout :) , I'll let you know how it goes.

Thanks Cracky, I can always count of locals,again beware of the subject matter. and I hope I'm not crazy or way off with the bass on this movie.

How are you enjoying the sub thus far?

Actually I already warned Sherv not to rent it and go popping it in around his wife and kids.
Being the badass that he is, my warning just fueled his curiosity so I guess first time he's alone he may give it a spin.

Same here, I heard more about the content but as I said I wasn't expecting the bass I heard. That's why I wanted others to check it out and let me know if it was just me. Remember I said 20+ minutes of sustained LFE, no kidding, that should be enough to peak a bass lovers interest. It sneaks up on you trust me, you're engrossed in the film the bass is this steady undercurrent, you look at the time and holy crap that's some long bass, and it builds and builds. I don't knew if the other viewers run subs or if they are bass lovers etc... JeffD2 rent it and let me know. Hell I may have to rent it again to make sure I'm not crazy.

Maybe I can get craigsub to rent it to test with those two new maestro XL's or maybe the Bland since he likes doing reviews.

To be precise , the bass last throughout the movie except a few break only .

Yes, I agree the bass is constant throughout the movie except for a few brief pauses. The section I was referring to was the opening scenes until I heard the first pause in the bass. But yes this is one of the few moves I've seen that has such persistent bass.

What did you think of the bass itself? At my listening levels in my room it made an impression on me...could've been the whole movie exerience itself...dunno...but apparently I'm in the minority on this one.

Requiem for a Dream is an excellent, very NON-Hollywood movie with excellent sound design including some nice bass effects from LucasArts.

Someone already mentioned Black Hawk Down. I put that movie on at a really high volume to impress my friends with my HT, and the subs bottomed out. I haven't many films to do that. Naturally, I lied to them and told them explosions in Somalia sound like that in real life...I had read about in Time Magazine or something.

Requiem for a Dream is an excellent, very NON-Hollywood movie with excellent sound design including some nice bass effects from LucasArts.

and definitly not one to watch with the kids or on a full stomach.

It is hard to say that I "enjoyed" the movie... but it was a worthwhile watch.

Someone already mentioned Black Hawk Down. I put that movie on at a really high volume to impress my friends with my HT, and the subs bottomed out.

What subs are you using? Just curious.

I'd just like to mention that I very much enjoyed watching The Chronicles of Riddick last night in the H/T, with the Hsu cranked a little too high.

Wife was bugged that I didn't want to watch some 40 days/dick&jane crap, but I was tired and wanted to chill with a movie with a decent storyline and lots of mindless violence.

"You keep what you kill. It is the necromonger way."

"What are you going to do? Kill us with your teacup?"

"It's a soup cup."

"What?"

"It's a soup cup. I'm going to kill you with my soup cup."

Next up, I'll kill you.. with this PIN!

Someone already mentioned Black Hawk Down. I put that movie on at a really high volume to impress my friends with my HT, and the subs bottomed out. I haven't many films to do that. Naturally, I lied to them and told them explosions in Somalia sound like that in real life...I had read about in Time Magazine or something.
The "Irene" (helicoptor takeoff scene) is one of my favorite "feel the bass" moments, esp the Superbit DTS version. And the movie definitely doesn't suck. Did it win Academy for best sound?

In which ways is the Superbit BHD better than the regular one? Is the bass stronger? I have the regular version and i can feel the Irene scene, but i wouldn't mind more :D

In which ways is the Superbit BHD better than the regular one? Is the bass stronger? I have the regular version and i can feel the Irene scene, but i wouldn't mind more :D
I may have misstated myself. I didn't necessarily mean the SB DTS version was better than the SB DD or non-SB DD (I have both discs). It's just the DTS version was enough to blow my hair back, so I didn't necessarily "need" to listen to the other formats. Now I'm curious to see if there is a difference. I have a 1/2 hour window today to try them out & will report any differences, if any.

and definitly not one to watch with the kids or on a full stomach.

It is hard to say that I "enjoyed" the movie... but it was a worthwhile watch.


"Juice, Juice, Juice for you!"

"Get ... excited, get get excited!"

And who could forget:

"Ass to ass! Ass to ass!"

In which ways is the Superbit BHD better than the regular one? Is the bass stronger? I have the regular version and i can feel the Irene scene, but i wouldn't mind more :D
Well, listened to the "Irene" scene about 10 times. Conclusion is save your money. No huge difference b/w the SB DD and DTS and non-SB DD tracks, at least to my ears. If anything, I found I needed to increase the volume by 2-3 dbs on the DD tracks to get the same dB output on SPL meter as from the DTS track. Bass quality was about the same.

My ears hurt. I'm taking a break now. :D

If anything, I found I needed to increase the volume by 2-3 dbs on the DD tracks to get the same dB output on SPL meter as from the DTS track.



Most DD tracks use "Dialnorm," which automatically lowers the volume of the audio, usuall by 3dB, in the receiver. That's why DTS soundtracks usually seem to be about 3dB louder than their DD counterparts. :D


And if you calibrate your speakers with your receiver test tones, that's THX reference level. Avia uses DD and Dialnorm, so the levels will be 3dB off due to Dialnorm.

I'm glad to hear there isn't a big difference in the soundtrack. I gave up looking for the DTS/SB version and got the standard DD version at Fry's (on sale for $6). I watched it a few days ago, actually, first time in a few years. Very good movie.

Well, listened to the "Irene" scene about 10 times. Conclusion is save your money. No huge difference b/w the SB DD and DTS and non-SB DD tracks, at least to my ears. If anything, I found I needed to increase the volume by 2-3 dbs on the DD tracks to get the same dB output on SPL meter as from the DTS track. Bass quality was about the same.

My ears hurt. I'm taking a break now. :D Thanks for the report! :)

The 3dB difference is normal between DD and DTS. I pretty much consistently need to turn down DTS discs about that much.

I'm glad to hear there isn't a big difference in the soundtrack. I gave up looking for the DTS/SB version and got the standard DD version at Fry's (on sale for $6).
I really only compared the bass in the "Irene" scene (esp few seconds showing first Black Hawks lifting off), so can't really comment on the rest of the soundtrack (e.g. surround action, dialogue clarity, etc). PQ-wise, when I did a rough comparison a while ago, I saw no difference b/w the SB and non-SB version. For $6, no-brainer purchase IMO.

Running Scared (through the Looking Glass). Incredible movie and if you are a Quentin Tarantino fan this one will grab you by the lapels and leave you exhausted. Lots of red paint so not recommended for family viewing or with the Wife. The soundtrack fits the film and the deep extended bass will kick you a few times when you aren't expecting it. Subsonic bass is used effectively to ceate tension. Highly recommended but you may want to play it safe and lower the bass volume because it is very loud when you least expect it.

Saw Running Scared a few days ago, suprising better than I expected. I was entertained and recommend it, especially because it went under the radar and most will be very satisfied with the movie. Good bass, biftting the style of movie but for me nothing above and beyond but well executed sound, very satisfying.

Yes this flick went under my radar screen too. If this is what we can expect from director Wayne Kramer, I will be looking forward to his next film. By the way I thought Elizabeth MItchell was outstanding in that creepy apartment scene with the kids. And Mitchell's use of Nostarfu-like shadows made it even creepier. That was just one of many scenes that had me on the edge of my seat. These days I usually judge a film at the end with whether I would watch it again and this one sure made the grade.

Yeah that was a good scene, Paul Walker impressed me too with his slight surfer boy tough guy attitude, but he was as convincing as he could be and I like that he kept a hard edge all the way through. I remember many times saying "man look at pretty boy Walker, he's got some balls." I later wondered would a tougher actor added even more grittiness to the film? Maybe, a good job across the board on this production, not a cult classic but well worth viewing.

Oh and the hockey puck scene...ouch.

Oh and Jakeman, since I'm bugging people about it rent "Irriversible" and give us your take on the bass.

Irreversible. Ok I'll order it.

That hockey puck scene didn't do it for me. I've been hit with one or two in my day and believe me he wouldn't be talking with four shots like he took. Also loved that bust in the opening. That shootout took three days to choreograph. Chaz Palmierri was great as the dirty cop.

I had my system calibrated using AVIA last week and we saw "Master and Commander" yesterday. THe first war scene was not impressive at all as far a bass goes. The total effect was really good though because of enveloping sound.
So, I watched the scene again, but this time around, I turned the knob on my s12 clockwise till it was a little short of 12 o'clock. THen I really felt the LFE and it was awesome.

SO, my question is, are you guys running the sub hot while watching movies?? If I keep the sub setting right there, it's very overpowering for music.

I actually find the opposite to be true. If I turn my subwoofer up to an impressive level for music and then go play a movie with bass it's way too loud.

A lot of people do run their subs a little hot, usually 3-5dB.

If your SPL meter says your sub is at the same level as your speakers (ie., 85dB for both speakers and sub), you are already a few dB hot (for that channel, as Avia does bass per channel).

If you listen at a decent volume (say -10 or so for the DTS, -5 or so for the DD), there should be enough bass (in M&C - that scene has some bass, but a lot of it is low frequency blasts). If you try to supplement that bass too much past what is supposed to be there, then when you get so a scene that is supposed to have a lot of bass, you may have problems with your sub (damage, or just port noise/bottoming) or have to turn down the master volume because the bass is so loud. You should be able to get into the -10 to -5 range or higher with normal viewing with a well-balanced system and room (assuming other factors aren't a concern - like other people in the house, apartment neighbors, etc.). If you still need more bass, and have tweaked all you can, then you need more subwoofer. ;)


Yes, it will sound very bad on certain music if you have your sub very hot. Music will also sound bad if your frequency response has a lot of peaks and dips, which is something that you can work on with tweaking the positon of the sub, the phase, etc. It's easiest to tell something's not right with speaker/sub performance with (the right kind of) music. "Bad" bumpy bass actually sounds good with the kind of music with artificial bass that falls where those bumps are. But other music will sound bloated and out of wack with those same nasty bass humps, caused by room interaction/acoustics. Check your response with some frequency sweeps (per channel and the LFE-only on Avia, etc.), and even chart out your frequency response with one of the pre-made Excel sheets available on the Internet, and see if you have any problems that could be addressed by tweaking the sub's location (even 6" can make a big difference).

I did refer to the Radio Shack table for the calibration for LFE, so I wasn't running it hot already.
The sub and the other channels are matched with AVIA. However, when AVIA does the LF sweep, the meter does it's own thing. It varies 5-6 DBs on either sides from 150 to 20 Htz. I know that I'm suppose to add 7.5 DB to the FR at 20Hts etc, but I'm not getting a flar FR from 150 to 20 Htz despite adding these numbers. It could be because of the location. I did play with the phase switch already, but have not moved the sub around. I'm waiting for my plasma which should arrive in next couple of weeks, after that I'll try to move the sub around to find it's right place. I did not play with the sub location because a lot of furniture is going to get moved around when I get my plasma.
But thanks for your input.

If your SPL meter says your sub is at the same level as your speakers (ie., 85dB for both speakers and sub), you are already a few dB hot (for that channel, as Avia does bass per channel).

If you listen at a decent volume (say -10 or so for the DTS, -5 or so for the DD), there should be enough bass (in M&C - that scene has some bass, but a lot of it is low frequency blasts). If you try to supplement that bass too much past what is supposed to be there, then when you get so a scene that is supposed to have a lot of bass, you may have problems with your sub (damage, or just port noise/bottoming) or have to turn down the master volume because the bass is so loud. You should be able to get into the -10 to -5 range or higher with normal viewing with a well-balanced system and room (assuming other factors aren't a concern - like other people in the house, apartment neighbors, etc.). If you still need more bass, and have tweaked all you can, then you need more subwoofer. ;)


Yes, it will sound very bad on certain music if you have your sub very hot. Music will also sound bad if your frequency response has a lot of peaks and dips, which is something that you can work on with tweaking the positon of the sub, the phase, etc. It's easiest to tell something's not right with speaker/sub performance with (the right kind of) music. "Bad" bumpy bass actually sounds good with the kind of music with artificial bass that falls where those bumps are. But other music will sound bloated and out of wack with those same nasty bass humps, caused by room interaction/acoustics. Check your response with some frequency sweeps (per channel and the LFE-only on Avia, etc.), and even chart out your frequency response with one of the pre-made Excel sheets available on the Internet, and see if you have any problems that could be addressed by tweaking the sub's location (even 6" can make a big difference).

I have SMS equalized quad subs which combined are calibrated to the same level as the speakers, It sounds like bass should, clean and powerful when it needs to be and not noticeable otherwise.

I just got the Acoustech H 100 and have been playing around with it. The sub is not calibrated yet because I'm moving. Do you guys change the volume setting for the sub depending on what movie you watch? I tried Band of Brothers and Sum of All Fears and the bass sounded good. It wasn't too loud, it wasn't too soft. I then tried out Behind Enemy Lines and the bass for that movie was pretty heavy. So I had to turn the volume setting down. I also noticed Fellowship of The Ring Extended has a deep bass compared to other movies. Any insight is appreciated!

I just got the Acoustech H 100 and have been playing around with it. The sub is not calibrated yet because I'm moving. Do you guys change the volume setting for the sub depending on what movie you watch? I tried Band of Brothers and Sum of All Fears and the bass sounded good. It wasn't too loud, it wasn't too soft. I then tried out Behind Enemy Lines and the bass for that movie was pretty heavy. So I had to turn the volume setting down. I also noticed Fellowship of The Ring Extended has a deep bass compared to other movies. Any insight is appreciated!


Some movies have more bass than others.

If you calibrate your sub with your mains than you'll get a closer idea to what was intended and you probably won't have to manually change the sub vomue each time. Just the volume.

Wow,did anyone think of saying starwars 1 2 3 the very first starwars?
they all had really good bass and loud in some parts of the movie.:)

Irreversible.

Read some reviews on this movie and found this reference at the IMBD website:

"The first 30 minutes of the film has a background noise with a frequency of 28Hz (low frequency, almost inaudible), similar to the noise produced by an earthquake. In humans, it causes nausea, sickness and vertigo. It was the main cause of people walking out of the theaters during the first part of the film in places like Cannes and San Sebastian. In fact, it was added with the purpose of getting this reaction."

30 minutes of constant 28hz bass could do that if one isn't prepared for it. Its interesting that the director was using this effect when the film was made four years ago.

I just got the Acoustech H 100 and have been playing around with it. The sub is not calibrated yet because I'm moving. Do you guys change the volume setting for the sub depending on what movie you watch? I tried Band of Brothers and Sum of All Fears and the bass sounded good. It wasn't too loud, it wasn't too soft. I then tried out Behind Enemy Lines and the bass for that movie was pretty heavy. So I had to turn the volume setting down. I also noticed Fellowship of The Ring Extended has a deep bass compared to other movies. Any insight is appreciated!


Like the Dark Knight said, you need to calibrate your subwoofer with either your receiver's test tones, or if your receiver doesn't have a test tone for the sub channel, then with the Avia setup disc. You will also need an SPL meter such as an analog or digital one from Radio Shack. Armed with Avia and an SPL meter, you will also be able to check for proper phase between the sub and mains, and check out your frequency response to see if it's pretty flat, or tweak placement to try and achieve flatter response.

Irreversible.

Read some reviews on this movie and found this reference at the IMBD website:

"The first 30 minutes of the film has a background noise with a frequency of 28Hz (low frequency, almost inaudible), similar to the noise produced by an earthquake. In humans, it causes nausea, sickness and vertigo. It was the main cause of people walking out of the theaters during the first part of the film in places like Cannes and San Sebastian. In fact, it was added with the purpose of getting this reaction."

30 minutes of constant 28hz bass could do that if one isn't prepared for it. Its interesting that the director was using this effect when the film was made four years ago.


AHHHH HAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Jakeman

I knew I wasn't crazy. I kept telling people this movie had some intense sustained bass that I found to be very impressive. But no one seems to mention it. I clocked 20-25 mins but 30 minutes wouldn't suprise me. Given your subsystem I'm awaiting your impressions. Again, it's not over the top WOTW but I found it very respectable in it's own right. Hopefully it plays well on your system and I can confidently continue to spread the word.

Like the Dark Knight said, you need to calibrate your subwoofer with either your receiver's test tones, or if your receiver doesn't have a test tone for the sub channel, then with the Avia setup disc. You will also need an SPL meter such as an analog or digital one from Radio Shack. Armed with Avia and an SPL meter, you will also be able to check for proper phase between the sub and mains, and check out your frequency response to see if it's pretty flat, or tweak placement to try and achieve flatter response.

I'll use the receiver for the calibration since it has the test tones for all channels.

I need Avia though to test the flat response?

Also, what's a cheap SPL similar to radio shack? I think the Radio Shack ones are about $50.

Thanks.

Like the Dark Knight said, you need to calibrate your subwoofer with either your receiver's test tones, or if your receiver doesn't have a test tone for the sub channel, then with the Avia setup disc.

cyberi, it sounds from reading this like you're suggesting it's best to use your reciever's test tones, and if your reciever doesn't have test tones, then use AVIA. I thought it was always best to use the AVIA disc for measuring db level, unless you don't have the disc. If I remember correctly, this is supposed to be because a reciever's test tones aren't as accurate as a disc actually being played through the system - i.e. from the DVD player, through your reciver, and to the speakers ... Is that wrong? Is it better to use your reciver's internal test tones rather than a disc like AVIA?

If your receiver has the tones for the sub as well, then Avia isn't needed to do a basic calibration of the subwoofer's level for someone just starting out. Avia does have plenty of other stuff to help set subwoofer phase, check frequency response, etc., as well as the video display calibration patterns, so it is a very useful disc to have.

As far as how they work...
A good receiver's test tones should be at THX reference level - that is, recorded to play back at 75dB, giving you "reference level" at whatever master volume setting used to get 75dB across all channels. Avia is recorded so the tones are at 85dB, and whatever master volume setting you use will get you reference level. The 75dB versus 85dB is just a matter of the volume of the test tones themselves, so using Avia and setting speakers to75dB will get you a master volume setting that puts you at -10 below reference level. One thing to note with Avia, though, is that like Dolby Digital it uses "Dialnorm," which tells the receiver to lower the volume by 3dB. So Avia and receiver test tone results will be off by 3dB. Dolby Digital soundtracks also use Dialnorm, but DTS does not, which is why there is usually a 3dB difference in volume between DD and DTS tracks (DD is 3dB quieter than DTS). It doesn't matter which you use, because it is more about setting all the speaker channels and subwoofer to be at the same volume level. Doing so will let you know what your own "reference level" is, whether it's at 0 on your dial, "32," or "85." If your reference level is "54" on your dial, and you watch a move at "49," then you know you are at -5 below reference level for that movie. If you relate to someone here on AVS how loud you watched the movie, you would say "-5 below reference level" (and you are free to qualify that with what you used to calibrate - Avia or internal test tones). I hope that's easy enough to understand...

Yes the RS SPL meters are about $40-50. These are the cheap ones, as better and more accurate mics can be several hundred dollars or more.

For testing for flat response, Avia has "frequency sweeps" that start at say 200Hz and go to 20Hz. Tones like this can also be downloaded from places like www.realmofexcursion.com and burned to a CD (or played from a PC). You won't know what frequency you have the humps or dips, but you can at least see how much the SPL meter jumps up and down. Also with the websites with the individual frequency tones, you can play them one at a time and chart out your system's response (ie in stereo so your left/right main speakers and sub are playing together based on the bass management settings) on a pre-made Excel chart like the one attached.


HTH

Many thanks to the responses. Here's my situation

- I won't be getting an SPL until I move to the new apartment, which will be 2 weeks from now.

# in parenthesis was my volume level. It's based on dialogue level. Subwoofer level was at -5 for all three movies.

- I watched LOTR: ROTK EE and the bass insane. It almost shook my whole room (27).
- Watched Kingdom of Heaven Directors Cut and the bass seemed normal. It gives your that "oomph" when the boulders are hitting the walls and not as bassy as ROTK. It was perfect for me(29).
- Watched Hannibal and this one seemed right as well. Gunshots and bell rings felt heavy but not too extreme(30).

My question is how would calibration solve ROTK's too "bassy" sound. Reason I'm asking is that there is no way all movies would have the same volume and subwoofer level.

If I cater to ROTK, then most movie will not have bass. If I cater to other movies, ROTK will have too much bass.

I hope the question makes sense. Help please.

If your master volume is at 27-30, what is your "reference level"? And are this positive numbers past 0 as you go up, or negative numbers going "up" to 0?


Some movies will just have more bass than others. And most people seem to like that "room shaking" sound. If you try to calibrate the sub for every movie to match what you think the bass should be like, you'll never get to enjoy the movies. Calibrate the subwoofer to what it should be (or a few dB hot), after tweaking the position with frequency sweeps of course, and then use the master volume control to adjust the total volume. You'll be hearing the amount of bass the director intended, albeit at an attenuated level - but the bass will be in balance with the other speakers at whatever volume level.

You can turn on DRC/night mode to a medium setting with DD soundtracks to control the peaks a bit if bass gets out of hand (or use the subwoofer level on the receiver to go up/down to suit your tastes if needed).

Thanks Cracky, I can always count of locals,again beware of the subject matter. and I hope I'm not crazy or way off with the bass on this movie.

How are you enjoying the sub thus far?

Actually I already warned Sherv not to rent it and go popping it in around his wife and kids.
Being the badass that he is, my warning just fueled his curiosity so I guess first time he's alone he may give it a spin.

I couldn't even finish the movie because of how queasy I was feeling. Man that movie was not entertaining at all, I felt like I was looking at Faces of Death or something. It does have a lot of bass but the subject matter is EXTREMELY graphic and just plain disgusting. It really makes Hostel look like Sesame Street and that is no exaggeration at all. I am never going to see that movie again, that's for sure.

If you are going to rent it for the bass, watch the first part of the film and then stop when they get to the club. Don't watch anything after! I'm not kidding at all, that movie was really sick. In a bad way.

I actually find the opposite to be true. If I turn my subwoofer up to an impressive level for music and then go play a movie with bass it's way too loud.

A lot of people do run their subs a little hot, usually 3-5dB.

Same here Jeremy.

I usually have my SVS 16-46+ set @ -1.5 on my Pio 1014 (which is what it is calibrated with using Avia.
Also have it Eq'd flat.
Some music, I have to trun it up on the receiver, some movies (like Constantine which has ULTRA sick bass and is running about 8-10db hot compared to most others), I turn it down.
Some movies which the LFE isa bit low, I turn the LFE Channel up to 0.0.

No one setting wil work for evey movie.
Just adjust it up or down to taste with your LFE channel level in your receiver.

>>>>>Quote:
Originally Posted by launche
Thanks Cracky, I can always count of locals,again beware of the subject matter. and I hope I'm not crazy or way off with the bass on this movie.

How are you enjoying the sub thus far?

Actually I already warned Sherv not to rent it and go popping it in around his wife and kids.
Being the badass that he is, my warning just fueled his curiosity so I guess first time he's alone he may give it a spin.



I couldn't even finish the movie because of how queasy I was feeling. Man that movie was not entertaining at all, I felt like I was looking at Faces of Death or something. It does have a lot of bass but the subject matter is EXTREMELY graphic and just plain disgusting. It really makes Hostel look like Sesame Street and that is no exaggeration at all. I am never going to see that movie again, that's for sure.

If you are going to rent it for the bass, watch the first part of the film and then stop when they get to the club. Don't watch anything after! I'm not kidding at all, that movie was really sick. In a bad way. <<<<<<


I was at work having a LONG day and I LMAO when I read your post cracky. Not to laugh at your discomfort but you really made it seem horrible. I really didn't think it would be that hard for you, I'm sorry but I'm still laughing.
so you only watched what 20 or 30 minutes?

Running Scared, very good. some think it's too violent, but I enjoyed it

Check out the waterfalls (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7867552&&#post7867552)

Yes besides having a great plot Running Scared is now my reference subwoofer workout flick, along with Underworld Evolution because of the visuals. ;)

judging by those waterfalls, I gotta see this movie
Javry

What subs are you using? Just curious.
I'm sorry. I missed this post.

I've got two 10's (Hsu STF-2) and a 12 (Infinity Alpha 1200s). I'm running out of Y-adaptors :)

I was at work having a LONG day and I LMAO when I read your post cracky. Not to laugh at your discomfort but you really made it seem horrible. I really didn't think it would be that hard for you, I'm sorry but I'm still laughing.
so you only watched what 20 or 30 minutes?

Hahaha, I watched the whole thing but when I was done watching it I felt dirty, lol. I really didn't take your warning seriously about the subject matter that was on the film, I figured you were making it seem worse than it really is. The movie wasn't that bad in the sense of being a movie, it is just very hard to watch.

LOL
I also felt strange during certains scenes, especially the infamous one. I also felt a little dirty after that scene, I remember saying to myself "what the F's wrong with me for sitting through that, it was very weird because the young lady I find to be attractive and was admiring her as such moments before that scene and then to see that happen just put me in a weird place :(
Unfortunaley or not it is one of those movies that will stay with you.

I dont know if this was mentioned already. But SOLARMAX has some great bass scenes in it. Its an IMAX movie that comes on INHD sometimes. I watched it today and it shook up my whole room during the sun scenes!! :eek: :)

Another vote for Running Scared. I thought the movie was pretty well done with an interesting plot. DTS ES is a nice touch and they use it well. If you watch at reference, be sure your subs are calibrated and up to the task. Very hot bass centered around 20hz come out of nowhere.

Example: Chapter 9 entering the strip club.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v24/weezR/Waterfalls/RunningScared_ch9_LFE.jpg

-Eli

No one has mentioned "Team America: World Police" yet? :p

can someone tell how to level your sub

No one has mentioned "Team America: World Police" yet? :p
That's another thread: Subwoofer Movies that DO Suck. ;)

can someone tell how to level your sub


First, you need an SPL meter, like the ones available from Radio Shack (analog or digital). Second, you have to check to see if your receiver has a test tone for the LFE/sub besides the ones for the speakers (not all receivers have a sub test tone). If your receiver DOES have a sub test tone, then you just need an SPL meter. If it doesn't, then you need an SPL meter, plus the "Avia" setup disc (does both Audio and Video).

Basically you play the test tones and adjust the channel levels in your receiver so that at the same Master Volume setting, the tone plays at the same SPL level from each speaker and from the sub. For example, if your surround speakers are closer to you than your mains, they may be too loud and have to be turned down so they play at the correct volume level compared to the other speakers.

It would be a good idea to pick up Avia anyway. Besides having a lot of patterns for tweaking your video display, it has a wealth of audio test tones for checking speaker levels, phase, phase with the sub (VERY important), and frequency sweeps for checking how flat or bumpy your frequency response is (great for tweaking sub/listening position placement).


HTH

I'd just like to mention that I very much enjoyed watching The Chronicles of Riddick last night in the H/T, with the Hsu cranked a little too high.

Wife was bugged that I didn't want to watch some 40 days/dick&jane crap, but I was tired and wanted to chill with a movie with a decent storyline and lots of mindless violence.

"You keep what you kill. It is the necromonger way."

Is it bad for me to admit that i've watched Riddick 4 times in 11 days, cuz i've really enjoyed the bass?

"kill the riddick! kill the furian!"

I just saw 'over the hedge' at the theater, and in a couple of scenes, the bass was very satisfying.

Is it bad for me to admit that i've watched Riddick 4 times in 11 days, cuz i've really enjoyed the bass?

yikes, 27% Tomato Rating!

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/chronicles_of_riddick/

you must have a REALLY good subwoofer! :D

Yo Cyber,

I read in one of the subwoofer links that you need a tripod for the spl meter so you can put the spl meter where you would be seating. True?

Yes, true.

yikes, 27% Tomato Rating!

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/chronicles_of_riddick/

you must have a REALLY good subwoofer! :D

Don't mistake the critical approval rating with that of Joe six pack. Chronicals of Riddick is a horrible movie with a weak story that falls apart early and goes no where. Plot holes are so big you can drive a 18 wheeler through them.

Personally? I loved the movie and have watched it several times. :D

Meter mounted in your seat, at the level your ears would be. Yourself off to the side so as not to interfere with the readings. :cool:

So I guess I really shouldn't admit that I watched Meatballs 4 several times as well [back in college, 15 yrs ago].

I've watched Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy about three times. The most impressive LFE scene is when Arthur talks to Trillian after she takes a shower.

There is sustained extremely low frequency bass. It was low enough that my sub hit xmax and that was how I noticed. I would guess it is EASILY under 10hz, it felt like it was even lower in frequency than the earth blowing up scene.

Don't mistake the critical approval rating with that of Joe six pack. Chronicals of Riddick is a horrible movie with a weak story that falls apart early and goes no where. Plot holes are so big you can drive a 18 wheeler through them.

Personally? I loved the movie and have watched it several times. :D

well, I just saw "Running Scared" tonight and it wasn't half-bad, so you're right, sometimes the critical approval ratings can be off.

Yo Cyber,

I read in one of the subwoofer links that you need a tripod for the spl meter so you can put the spl meter where you would be seating. True?


Yes, to get the most accurate, consistent results. Ie., if you are taking readings and plotting them out. It may also be easier that way for more complicated stuff.

But I haven't noticed much of a difference (none at all) by sitting in the LP with the meter in front of my head/face or down a bit doing level matching or meter reading.

Yes, to get the most accurate, consistent results. Ie., if you are taking readings and plotting them out. It may also be easier that way for more complicated stuff.

But I haven't noticed much of a difference (none at all) by sitting in the LP with the meter in front of my head/face or down a bit doing level matching or meter reading.

Just saw Disney/Pixar's Cars last weekend.

Stunning animation and LFE. I can't wait till this comes out on DVD so I can hear it through my VTF-3 MK2.

Spike Lee's Inside Man has some great drum music to start off the movie...

Amazingly enough..the only movie to ever make my speakers clip was The Polar Express. That movie gets LOUD.

Hmm, let's see here, some of my favorites are...

Lotr, fellowship of the ring; The entire prologue is loaded with deep bass, esp. when the ring is cut from Sauron's hand

Lotr, Return of the king; Again the prologue has amazing lfe effects, and again, the ring is making them. My favorite part of the movie has to be when the army of mordor advances on Minus Tirith, the trolls are beating the drums and the entire army is chanting, shortly after, the trebuchets begin to launch

The Patriot; its a war movie with cannon's what do you expect?

The Lion King; Absolutely phenominal lfe, just after the opening presentation, you will be startled with a powerful "thump" as scar catches his mouse. Also, you will find out just how many thing aren't bolted down in your room when the wildabeasts stampede the gorge

"Star Wars Episode II; The arena scene when the creatures are coming out, the horned beast's footfalls shook my entire body in the theater

The Matador

Not a real bass heavy movie but what it does have is very pleasing and even made me flinch as I was just sitting down with my dinner and got caught by surprise. And a scene or two that made make some wanna upgrade :) One of the better DD tracks IMO.

The Matador

Not a real bass heavy movie but what it does have is very pleasing and even made me flinch as I was just sitting down with my dinner and got caught by surprise. And a scene or two that made make some wanna upgrade :) One of the better DD tracks IMO.

well this isn't much of a subwoofer movie but mamma mia it is one HELL of an awesome movie: "Matador" the Spanish movie directed by Pedro Almodovar. Very hard to find these days but if you do it will be worth it---absolutely amazing!

Well I was speaking about the one starring Pierce Bronson released recently. But I will look into the version you speak of since you are so fond of it.

I know there may be some debate over whether it qualifies for this list on a quality basis, but Final Destination 2 has some good car crash and logs falling off a truck effects as well as some other rumblings.

First of all, the Matador--funny that was brought up. I just watched that last week. I too had the same impression about the bass. THere is about 3 or 4 spots where it flat stomped me in the chest. I remember being startled by it while watching it a couple times. I don't really remember specifically when--I think it was a flashback or two or something. Anyway, I didn't expect any memorable bass in that movie and ended up getting it in a few spots.

Also, Final destination 2--the first real scene of the movie is simply one of the best all time home theater show off scenes you will find. period. Not necessarily the bassiest scene in the world as nothing touches CH5 WOW but for an all around system tester it is near the top. It has, drugs, foul language, blood, guts, carnage, comedy, and a nice pair of fake fun bags fully exposed. Throw in some AC/DC for a topper, as well. The seemingly never ending car crash scene will really test your surrounds, mains, and sub each independently as well as all together. There is some growl and rumble from the trucks that will shake things up, and the famous log drop scene that will force your sub to kick you in the chest. This was one of the scenes a guy at one of my local shops used to show off their theater room--obviously you have to have the correct audience as the scene is definately rated R. However, the crash scene is very, very powerful and it comes at you from every angle. THe first time you watch this scene you will jump, no doubt. I yelled out some things that I can't type here when I was in the demo room. It is one of my favorites.

I have also heard that polar express is acoustically amazing. My mother keeps threatening to bring my 4 neices and nephews over for a watch on my "big TV." I think she wants them to see that and King Kong. That is 5 hours worth of movies I am not sure I would make it through. Speaking of KK, I was kind of torn on this one. The original is obviously one of the greatest classics ever and like most of us, I grew up loving that movie. When I heard they were remaking it, I was torn between "this is going to be awesome" and "they are going to ruin it." After seeing it I still have the same feeling. I didn't totally dislike it, but wasn't all that impressed. I guess it just goes to show that even without computers generating 90% of the visuals you can actually make a good movie. It is almost as if Hollywood now doesn't know how it was done back in the stoneage when people actually had to act and scenery had to be built and special effects were actually "special." I know I sound like an old fart with that even though I just crossed the 30 barrier.

I watched Riddick--it was on cable so it doesn't really count from a real sound comparison as DVD, but the movie as a whole was a bit too mindless for me to really enjoy. I did make it through it and there were some cool sequences, but as a whole a huge let down after the awesome original Pitch Black. I watched Pitch Black not knowing anything about Riddick--except that I was bombarded by commercials as it was already at the theater, so I knew of riddick but that was it. I had no idea the 2 were connected until after the fact. Pitch Black is a pretty good flick.

Spike Lee's Inside Man has some great drum music to start off the movie...

Thirteen Days [Kevin Costner] is like that also. Not much sound action beyond that but a great movie....and long.

Just saw Disney/Pixar's Cars last weekend.

Stunning animation and LFE. I can't wait till this comes out on DVD so I can hear it through my VTF-3 MK2.

I tried to get in to see it this last w'end but it had already started and the next showing was 2 hours away....so I booked. I'm glad someone saw it. Now I think I'll wait for the DVD in November.

I dont know if this was mentioned already. But SOLARMAX has some great bass scenes in it. Its an IMAX movie that comes on INHD sometimes. I watched it today and it shook up my whole room during the sun scenes!! :eek: :)

You can get it on DVD. I have it. It clipped DaveN's SVS subs in the one of the last scenes.

Well I was speaking about the one starring Pierce Bronson released recently. But I will look into the version you speak of since you are so fond of it.

I completely agree about the bass in The Matador. I watched it last night, and wow...like someone else said, it really startles you.

Edit: I realllllly need to upgrade my sub.

Das Boot is an amazing movie experience, period. Far, far better movie than U-571 IMO. The storm sequence and depth charges have content down below 15 Hz....

Das Boot is a better movie for sure but the bass is deeper and better on U-571, but you can prove me wrong with some "waterfall charts".

Das Boot is a better movie for sure but the bass is deeper and better on U-571, but you can prove me wrong with some "waterfall charts".

I have a feeling that would be a sucker's bet....

If your into Horror movies, The Hills Have Eyes has some great bass at the very beginning, but also thru out the whole movie!!!!

If your into Horror movies, The Hills Have Eyes has some great bass at the very beginning, but also thru out the whole movie!!!!

I think horror movies are some of the best places to get your bass fix. Many don't fall under the title of this thread (The Hills Have Eyes would certainly be one of them), but good bass can certainly create a ominous mood.

I do not know if it got mentioned but Kung Foo Hustle has a lot of bass, plus it is a good movie

You have to be a overall fan of horror movies, to like horror movies. I thought The hills have eyes was just a typical horror movie. Maybe not the best movie but had good bass!

Just watched Eight Below with the family this weekend. It had a couple moments, especially when the leopard seal practically jumps out of the television. The visual and audio combination made the whole family jump!

-- Scott

i know Batman Begins was mentioned but i give it another thumbs up on both movie and soundtrack.

Equalibrium is an awesome movie for those that haven't seen it.

Ice Age, the opening scene with scrat (that squirrel thing)

Advent Children is another cool movie with some nice bass and good soundtrack. it's fully animated and has some awesome fight scenes.

V for Vendetta, good movie with a few good bass scenes.

I finally got to watch Running Scared. The movie was just okay, but there are a few scenes where the bass is awsome! One is in a strip club...

finally saw war of the worlds on hbo-hd last night

maybe my expectations were just incredibly low (only watched to give the pb 12+/2 a workout) but I definitely didn't think it sucked...

wasn't a great movie (2 hr chase scene, cookie-cut characters, ending comes out of nowhere) but I've seen far worse.

just my 2c/never 2bho...

Batman Begins is good.
Spiderman 2/SB DTS/
U-571/DTS
Pick any LOTR movie!
Finding Nemo
The Inredibles

One movie that you would not think fits this topic is the newer Freaky Friday with Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsey Lohan. when they read the fortune cookie and switch places there is an earthquake in the restaurant that rattles-n-rolls!

finally saw war of the worlds on hbo-hd last night

maybe my expectations were just incredibly low (only watched to give the pb 12+/2 a workout) but I definitely didn't think it sucked...

wasn't a great movie (2 hr chase scene, cookie-cut characters, ending comes out of nowhere) but I've seen far worse.

just my 2c/never 2bho...I thought it was good til the ending...one of the worst endings I've ever seen.

...one of the worst endings I've ever seen.

Not counting AI of course. ;)

Not counting AI of course. ;)
...Or the Planet of the Apes remake. :rolleyes:

...Or the Planet of the Apes remake. :rolleyes:

DING! DING! DING! DING!

we have a winner!

anyone know how the LFE is in that? I don't think I could bring myself to defile my equipment with that one...

did anyone ever start the "subwoofer movies that DO suck" thread? that might be a good place to start

DING! DING! DING! DING!

we have a winner!

Luckily for me the ending at least let me get out of that debacle with a laugh. :)

I finally got to watch Running Scared. The movie was just okay, but there are a few scenes where the bass is awsome! One is in a strip club...
IMO, Running Scared kinda sucked. Down there with 4 Brothers. Decent soundtrack/bass though.

IMO, Running Scared kinda sucked. Down there with 4 Brothers. Decent soundtrack/bass though.

I enjoyed 4 Brothers, too. :) I gave them both 3 stars on Netflix. The soundtrack to Running Scared did help bring it up a notch, and I liked Paul Walker's character.

Check out this bass! (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=7867552&&#post7867552) :D You've got to admit that regardless of the somewhat mechanical plotline, this scene was fun.

I've been going through re-watching the 2nd season of Carnivale.

It's another show that uses a low frequency background noise to set the mood.

It's not going to knock any pictures off the wall...but it certainly adds a nice layer of "creepy" to the show. :)

DING! DING! DING! DING!

we have a winner!

anyone know how the LFE is in that? I don't think I could bring myself to defile my equipment with that one...
Haven't seen the Planet of the Apes remake but I would watch it before Freaky Friday [Hotdigity] no matter how good the bass was supposed to be in the latter.
Herbie I might see.

The WOTW ending was better than, while still being true to, the original (and I assume the book, too) Now, if they had blown Tom Cruise up a la Trancers at the end that would have been an improvement.

I just saw Independence Day-HD on cable for the first time with my subwoofer setup and was a little disappointed that the bass/LFE wasn't a little better. For alien invasion movie endings, it and Signs were better than most.

>For alien invasion movie endings, it and Signs were better than most.

V- the final battle!

since the subject of bass movies that DO suck has been brought up, I already mentioned these at the very beginning of this thread about 4 months ago, but here are my picks for movies I tired to force myself through solely for the boom.

Godzilla--new one with matthew broderick, Terrible movie--took me three times to get through it. bass is pretty good, but way overshadowed by the garbage actually on the screen.

Fantastic four--I fell asleep even with the hound system cranking and shaking things up--real bad movie.

and my pick for worst movie that has impressive enough bass to mention...

The Hulk. No question. If you took the exquisite jennifer connelly out of that movie I wouldn't have made it 5 minutes. Even with her, the most I have managed was about 10 minutes at a time. I gave up trying. Just a sheer pile of garbage. Some very good bass sequences when the giant video game creature is battling the tanks and being hit by dozens of missles simulatenously, of course none of them even scratching him, I can't even finish the sentence. It is just bad.

Sometimes, Brian, you have to let go of logic and reason and just look at the pretty colors.

I did have a real problem with the Apache Helicopters flying very fast, sideways. :eek:

>but here are my picks for movies I tired to force myself through solely for the boom.

Can't argue with Godzilla, fantastic 4, or especially the Hulk, but King Kong- wow, was that bad as well. Hulk gets the win due to the playstation animation, but narrowly.

Gotta add A Sound of Thunder to the "do suck" list. Now wouldn't that just have to be a good subwoofer movie? Oddly enough, the acting was pretty good, but the script was terrible and it was basically stupid throughout. A scene near the beginning where a couple of the characters were supposed to be walking around a futuristic city with cars flying by looked like it could have been done by Ed Wood in the fifties. It looked like the actors were standing in front of a screen. I know, i know, but it's not supposed to LOOK like they are.

I liked Fantastic Four but agree about the others. The 1933 King Kong looked more real than the Hulk.

You mean the Hulk was actually a live action movie? :D

I have commented elsewhere about King Kong. When I first learned of it, I had mixed thoughts. One was this is going to be awesome--as the original was one of my favorites a kid, and the other was they are going to ruin it. After seeing it I still have the same mixed impressions. It definately isn't nearly as good as the original, but there was some good parts. Overall I wasn't impressed--It was too long, too slow, and never got me into the movie.

Randy, I like pretty colors as much as the next guy--believe me I like my fair share of mindless movies with Caddyshack being at the top of my all time list. But speaking of pretty colors--I watched House of Flying Daggers again last night. What a visually and audibly stunning movie that is. the echo game all the way through the fight scene with the beads up until her capture is audibly amazing. The HUGE audible swings from almost total silence, very faint background giggles, and breathing to the thunderous drum beats--amazing. Unfortunately I have seen this scene at one of my local shops on B&W 803's with matching center (with the 7's I forget part # now) and the 800 series surrounds in a rather small room powered by a Levinson amp and a Rotel player. The transitions and seperate, distinct background sounds were even more evident than what my modest system can produce. I guess what my system lacks in absolute pristine highs by way of those superb 800 series tweeters on the B&W's I somewhat make up for in gut wrenching bass delivered by my PB12+/2.

I am replaying some of my DVDs that I've had for a while, but now I have the +/2. I don't want to go through all of them until I get new speakers. I have seen some of the Chinese films with the amazing color, but I haven't watched them with good sound yet. I break down once in a while to watch a reference movie, but I want to hold out until all my upgrades are done.

I don't usually comment on my likes and dislikes in movies because it is "subjective". Man, I'm getting to hate that word. Some of the movies people have really hated, I liked. But I have no trouble turning off my brain and watching the pretty colors.

I did notice the you left Hell Boy off your recent list.

As for KK, I enjoyed it. Not as good as I had hoped for considering it was directed by PJ. I wish now he had remade the one movie I know he would have done great with and that's The Hobbit. Every other version I have seen of that has been terrible.

>The Hobbit. Every other version I have seen of that has been terrible.

Gotta love the songs in the cartoon version!

How bout Alien (Directors Cut)? Great movie and with the dts mix, it makes you forget the movie was made about 30 years ago. Also, don't know if anyone mentioned this yet, but Blade 2's DTS-ES track is quite impressive. Make sure to watch the club scene and every other scene in the movie.

I wish now he had remade the one movie I know he would have done great with and that's The Hobbit. Every other version I have seen of that has been terrible.

I still think that deal will get worked out eventually. There's far too much money to be made for the studios not to work it out.

I just rewatched "Hero" last night. Awesome visuals and DTS soundtrack! During the scene where the Qin army is attacking with the arrows....holy crap! Sounded like arrows were lodging themselves into my walls and ceiling. This is one of the best DTS mixes I've heard, and the bass is used well.

I thought it was good til the ending...one of the worst endings I've ever seen.
Seeing the first War of the Worlds made understanding the ending much easier - otherwise most would not get it...

I just rewatched "Hero" last night. Awesome visuals and DTS soundtrack! During the scene where the Qin army is attacking with the arrows....holy crap! Sounded like arrows were lodging themselves into my walls and ceiling. This is one of the best DTS mixes I've heard, and the bass is used well.
I agree with that. Funny thing is though, last year at craigsub's Nov 20 GTG, the other's weren't too impressed with that scene.

But then again, that was a tough crowd. ;) :cool:

I agree with that. Funny thing is though, last year at craigsub's Nov 20 GTG, the other's weren't too impressed with that scene.

But then again, that was a tough crowd. ;) :cool:

Was that the GTG that Jack(Ajax/Rijax) attended? If so, that would explain it!! :D

Was that the GTG that Jack(Ajax/Rijax) attended? If so, that would explain it!! :D
Yes sir, it was.

V for Vendetta, good movie with a few good bass scenes.
Without any spoilers, anyone else see this yet with subwoofer related comments?

Great, good, okay? :confused:

Without any spoilers, anyone else see this yet with subwoofer related comments?

Great, good, okay? :confused:

There's a few hard hitting scenes, but not quite WotW level and more than KK.

I had my system calibrated using AVIA last week and we saw "Master and Commander" yesterday. THe first war scene was not impressive at all as far a bass goes. The total effect was really good though because of enveloping sound.
So, I watched the scene again, but this time around, I turned the knob on my s12 clockwise till it was a little short of 12 o'clock. THen I really felt the LFE and it was awesome.

SO, my question is, are you guys running the sub hot while watching movies?? If I keep the sub setting right there, it's very overpowering for music.

Sorry guys...newbie question here: what does it mean when u run the sub hot?

Just to keep in context with the thread...I just saw Bad Boys 2...great bass coming from background music, explosions, cars crashing, helicopters, machine guns, and muscle car v8 engines. kept me very entertained :)

>but here are my picks for movies I tired to force myself through solely for the boom.

Can't argue with Godzilla, fantastic 4, or especially the Hulk, but King Kong- wow, was that bad as well. Hulk gets the win due to the playstation animation, but narrowly.

I thought fantastic 4 wasn't that bad...but then it's hard to say i force myself to watch any movie jessica alba is in. yes, her acting sucks, but who cares! my ears are out, mind is gone...but my eyes are glued to the set...and of course the occasional---REWIND! Did "Into The Blue" have any good bass scenes? ;)

Sorry guys...newbie question here: what does it mean when u run the sub hot?

Just to keep in context with the thread...I just saw Bad Boys 2...great bass coming from background music, explosions, cars crashing, helicopters, machine guns, and muscle car v8 engines. kept me very entertained :)

Have you calibrated your subwoofer to match its level to that of the other speakers? Running the sub so it read about 2dB lower than the other speakers gets you about even, because the Radio Shack SPL meter reads bass differently. If you set the level of the sub so the SPL meter reads the same as the other speakers, you are about 2dB over the level of the other speakers, or about 2dB "hot." So "hot" just means running the sub at a higher level than the other speakers, rather than even/flat.

Average settings with people seems to be from even/flat to about 3-4dB hot.

I thought fantastic 4 wasn't that bad...but then it's hard to say i force myself to watch any movie jessica alba is in. yes, her acting sucks, but who cares! my ears are out, mind is gone...but my eyes are glued to the set...and of course the occasional---REWIND! Did "Into The Blue" have any good bass scenes? ;)
Into the Blue was one of the worst movies I have ever seen and bass was not a factor. Even with J Alba. Get the Playboy cover she sued them over and you pretty much have what she added to the movie; don't waste the time watching it.
How is the bass in Joyride?

Does anyone know if Tremors has good bass?

Does anyone know if Tremors has good bass?
I used to think it did back when I had a so-so sub. Not sure whether I'd still think so if I tried it with my SVS. Guess I'll put it on my "watch again" list and find out.

Edit: I belatedly remembered that it doesn't have a LFE track (at least my copy doesn't), so it will no doubt suffer in comparison with more modern soundtracks. It seemed good in its day, though.

Speaking of bad boys II--What an awesome flick--a little bit of everything that makes a good action/comedy--hot chicks, amazing cars, tons of explosions, drugs, guns, wise azz comments, and one of the greatest car chase scenes ever done. It will test your entire sound system with tons of surround sound and some decent bass levels.

I watched "the island" last night. It was better than I expected after seeing the prieview. 2 things, during the car chase scene I thought to myself and told my girlfriend that I felt like I was watching bad boys III--the car chase was almost an exact duplicate of the one in Bad boys II--it didn't know that they were directed by the same guy, but after watching that scene there was no doubt. Next, holy crap is miss johansson hot. I always thought she was attractive in a very unique way--she has a special look to her that I liked in lost in trasnslation, but in this she is a world class hottie, she definately made the movie worth a watch. As far as ewen mcgregor goes--whats with the giant mole on his forehead? Anyway, movie as a whole has a lot more bass than I would have imagined, even with watching it on cable it shook the room up quite a bit.

mission impossible 2
The Matrix (just the first one) esp the scene "morpheus/neo matchup"
Air force one

Into the Blue was one of the worst movies I have ever seen and bass was not a factor. Even with J Alba. Get the Playboy cover she sued them over and you pretty much have what she added to the movie; don't waste the time watching it.
I just watched Into the Blue recently and I didn't think it was that bad. Sure it was predictable, complete with a hokey ending, but it was okay popcorn and bikini fare. Lot's of underwater bottoms-in-the-crack "swimming away filmed from directly behind" good stuff.

I thought the bass was good, but far from thunderous or anything like that. Lot's of jumping in the water and underwater shots with boats overhead where the bass track added a lot without thumping your brains in.

I like bass that thumps your brain in, but I actually enjoyed how the bass enhanced the scenes without overpowering them. But then again, maybe my son had my SVS cranked too high again... :)

I was in a local brick and mortar store and they were running a demo on some floor models. The movie was your basic kung-fu action flick and looked recent. The scene that was playing had several "bad guys" all dressed in coat and tails complete with top hats. They were attacking the local village "good guys". Each mini fight scene had one of the local villagers battling it out with several "bad guys" using everday objects, like one guy took what looked like over-sized shower rings and put them on his wrists. The movie was set in say the late 1800s or 1900s. It was in the vein of a "Hidden Tiger" type movie...I suppose.

At any rate, I was hoping some of you movie buffs with an edge for kung-fu flicks can identify this one. It sounded great!!! Lots of neat effects going around...I'd like to add it to my collection...it would be a first of it's type...unless you count Kill Bill vol. 1 and vol. 2.

Let me know!

It's Kung Fu Hustle, and it's a great movie if you like kung fu and wacky comedy. Another one by the same director, with the same kind of zany humor and kung fu action is Shaolin Soccer.

SVS has a list of recommended subwoofer movies:

http://svsound.com/questions-faqs.cfm#moviedemos

Thanks cyberbri...that's the one! I'll definitely pick it up as it sounded good on the floor setup. Thanks again!!

Speaking of bad boys II--What an awesome flick--a little bit of everything that makes a good action/comedy--hot chicks, amazing cars, tons of explosions, drugs, guns, wise azz comments, and one of the greatest car chase scenes ever done. It will test your entire sound system with tons of surround sound and some decent bass levels.



The point was movies that don't suck.

BBII sucked.

The point was movies that don't suck.

BBII sucked.

Sorry but BB2 didn't suck IMO. Invariably someone will say most any movie sucks including Citizen Kane. However, it probably does not have that much bass coming from its mono soundtrack anyway. ;)

Okay, I enjoyed BBII for exactly what it is, which is totally predictable entertainment. It's a popcorn flick and very enjoyable at that. Tons of awesome surround usage, it's great in 7.1 and lots of guns and explosions.

But I think the point of this thread was to find films for film-buffs, i.e. CINEMA that also has good sound and good bass.

We can all name dozens of big flash-bang action movies like BBII that has a lot of surround action going on, or a lot of bass, but finding real quality film is different.

One I recollect that had some surprisingly deep bass at a few different moments was the film Reconstruction. It's danish I believe. There are some sound effects for like flashbacks that plumb the depths pretty low. Somewhat unexpected as it's really just a drama so it's basically all dialog, but inthe midst of all that was a mini workout for my SVS. And a very intersting film.

SVS has a list of recommended subwoofer movies:

http://svsound.com/questions-faqs.cfm#moviedemos

Even the SVS list is not immune from stinkers; as there are quite a few on their list IMHO.

BTW I know the SVS list was never intended to be about movies that don't suck. ;)

............
But I think the point of this thread was to find films for film-buffs, i.e. CINEMA that also has good sound and good bass............
Yes, you're right.

Big bass movies/DVDs should've been posted in DVD's With House Crumbling Bass. (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=505286) :)

This way, the criteria of whether a movie sucks is not an issue. Just great LFE! :D

This is obvious, and was mentioned in the beginning, but one of my favorites is Master and Commander. The nearby firing of the cannons is inspiring. The general sound of the movie is great too. Most importantly, a good film.

Although this film has been mentioned, the Matrix Revolutions, I thought, was a great film for very deep bass and I didn't think it sucked. . . . .too badly.

SPEAK.

--Sincerely,

Although this film has been mentioned, the Matrix Revolutions, I thought, was a great film for very deep bass and I didn't think it sucked. . . . .too badly.

SPEAK.

--Sincerely,

Finally opened Matrix Reloaded after two years of it being sealed. Bought this and Revolutions just to complete the set, but held off on watching it since they weren't that great in theatres. I actually enjoyed watching Reloaded at home...lots of bass. I'll open up Revolutions and see if I feel the same way...

Yeah, I actually enjoyed and like all three of the Matrix films - as 2-hour chunks of entertainment and eye- and ear-candy.

Okay, I enjoyed BBII for exactly what it is, which is totally predictable entertainment. It's a popcorn flick and very enjoyable at that. Tons of awesome surround usage, it's great in 7.1 and lots of guns and explosions.

But I think the point of this thread was to find films for film-buffs, i.e. CINEMA that also has good sound and good bass.

We can all name dozens of big flash-bang action movies like BBII that has a lot of surround action going on, or a lot of bass, but finding real quality film is different.

One I recollect that had some surprisingly deep bass at a few different moments was the film Reconstruction. It's danish I believe. There are some sound effects for like flashbacks that plumb the depths pretty low. Somewhat unexpected as it's really just a drama so it's basically all dialog, but inthe midst of all that was a mini workout for my SVS. And a very intersting film.

Hmmm...I looked up Reconstruction. It's a Drama/Romance???? I dunno...the OP named this thread "Subwoofer movies that DON'T suck". First thing that came to mind was Action movies, cuz come on....who's gonna wanna blast The Notebook on their HT? :p

Finally opened Matrix Reloaded after two years of it being sealed. Bought this and Revolutions just to complete the set, but held off on watching it since they weren't that great in theatres. I actually enjoyed watching Reloaded at home...lots of bass. I'll open up Revolutions and see if I feel the same way...

Man, I did the same thing Sunday night! Wife and kids were out, and it had been a while since I watched "Reloaded". Bass was plentiful. When Neo speaks to the machine "face" the room rumbles nicely!

A great scene to test with a capable subwoofer is the "Burly Brawl" from the Matrix Reloaded. There are lots of different types of bass present in this clip.

All the slow motion sequences have high amplitude bass centered at or around 25 hz. Perhaps a little deeper. Guests at my place feel a bit uneasy after the entire clip has finished.

But the scene that takes the cake for sheer power, I think, is Neo talking to the machine overlord. "SPEAK". Try to play that at reference level with no output compression.

It's scary.

--Sincerely,

My bad!! The scene where Neo speaks to the machine overlord is from "Revolutions", not "Reloaded". Yeah, run that scene near reference level for a scary experience! :eek:

I watched History of violence a couple days ago--not at all a bass movie, but an excellent full frontal shot of maria bello. However, there is one scene with gunshots that really got my attention--especially a shotgun--it seemed to really kick me in the chest. This makes me more than ever want to watch Open Range with huge gunfight at the end that is supposed to have some excellent kick to it.

I watched History of violence a couple days ago--not at all a bass movie, but an excellent full frontal shot of maria bello. However, there is one scene with gunshots that really got my attention--especially a shotgun--it seemed to really kick me in the chest. This makes me more than ever want to watch Open Range with huge gunfight at the end that is supposed to have some excellent kick to it.


I didn't care much for History of Violence, except for those gunshots.

I have about 18 of the HT Demo Tree thread demo discs (downloaded and burned), and one of them has much of that gunfight scene. The sound was so awesome I rented the actual movie. Not bad - not GREAT, but decent enough to watch one time, and a nice story to boot. Even if you don't like the movie, the sound effects alone make it worth watching once.

I watched Man on Fire again last night. I think I have mentioned this before. I had to close the doors to my main room to seal it off from the kitchen because there is a bunch of background/mood setting, deep bass rumbles that was causing the dishes in my kitchen to rattle. There is much more bass in this movie than I remember. I listened to it at -5 last night and it really shook thinks up--you have to love DTS soundtracks. There are tons of scenes in the movie that made my clothes flap a bit. Some of his flashbacks are laden with background bass, as well as several explosions, gunshots and a loud techno club scene with huge pumping bass. Plus, I really liked the movie.

Also, watched Master and Commander again last night. I have only watched the whole movie once all the way through and that was before my pb12+/2. There are many scenes besides the initial ecnouter with the French ship (which I have watched/demoed dozens of times) that are highly impressive. One specifically is when they are going around the horn in the huge storm. The low growl of the wind and the ocean is unrelenting and really gives the sub a major workout, keeping you shaking for several minutes straight. Plus there are many cannon shots later in the movie as well. Movie as a whole is pretty good, not great, kind of seems like just a chapter in long story as the ending just kind of stops, without any real resolution. Bottom line, and I know this has been mentioned at least a dozen times in this thread--this is a movie that has some world class bass that doesn't suck.

I just watched the new movie World Trade Center and I have to say it did not suck and was very tastefully done even though the director was Oliver Stone.

Also there were some very spectacular bass scenes. Some scenes that come to mind is the first plane crash (it had to be a 0db peak there) and numerous collapsing scenes. In the scenes when building collapse was happening on-screen, there was tremendous bass that sounded like 10-50hz pink noise mixed in with other rock noises; the scenes lasted about a minute and gave me the scalp tingling sensation so I know there was some serious bass at those times.

A great scene to test with a capable subwoofer is the "Burly Brawl" from the Matrix Reloaded. There are lots of different types of bass present in this clip.

All the slow motion sequences have high amplitude bass centered at or around 25 hz. Perhaps a little deeper. Guests at my place feel a bit uneasy after the entire clip has finished.

But the scene that takes the cake for sheer power, I think, is Neo talking to the machine overlord. "SPEAK". Try to play that at reference level with no output compression.

It's scary.

--Sincerely,

Just saw Matrix Revolutions last night. You guys were right...VERY deep base when Neo is talking to the machine overlord. At what frequency was that? It was at the point that it was so low, your ears can barely make it out, but you can definitely feel it...maybe i need a second sub. I only have one 12" sub for a room that totals 6000 cubic feet. Should I get a second????

I think there's the voice, plus a very low frequency accompaniment that pressurizes the room. At least below 25Hz, probably around 20Hz or lower. Maybe someone has graphed it on that waterfall chart thread.

I only have one 12" sub for a room that totals 6000 cubic feet. Should I get a second????

What sub is it? There are $100 12" subs, and $2K 12" subs.

What sub is it? There are $100 12" subs, and $2K 12" subs.

Infinity ps12...selling at crutchfield for $450, but one-call had it for $200 so I had to pick it up :p

I think there's the voice, plus a very low frequency accompaniment that pressurizes the room. At least below 25Hz, probably around 20Hz or lower. Maybe someone has graphed it on that waterfall chart thread.

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/showpost.php?p=1944257&postcount=129

Infinity ps12...selling at crutchfield for $450, but one-call had it for $200 so I had to pick it up :p

well if you can get another one for $200, yeah that might make a big difference in a room that size.

Also, watched Master and Commander again last night. I have only watched the whole movie once all the way through and that was before my pb12+/2.

With a killer sub like that, I'd imagine almost *any* movie could be a wall-rattling experience! (drools) :)

edster,

Well, not "any" movie, but just about every movie that I have seen in the past and then re-watched on my humble home theater is whole other experience entirely. there is just somehting about a 110" screen, full 7.1 surround and that monster black box in the corner, combined with sitting in my drawers, on my huge oversstuffed furniture or giant 7' bean bag scratching myself that is just plain enjoyable to me. No movie theater quite compares.

just about every DVD I have in my collection I have bought since I purchased the SVS, so basically I have been watching many movies again for the first time on a real system--it is a whole other experience all together. many scenes and many movies you never knew had bass in them at all, now shake you off of the couch--oh yeah I am a bit of a volume junky too. typically in the -10 to -5 from reference range. Wall rattling is very accurate description. I am discovering rattles in new places all the time. The front wall of my theater really resonates right at 20hz--bad. I guess the distance from the sub is just right or something, but when I run sine waves through it, I am fearful that I am going to rip the nails out of the wall--literally. I have never seen anything like it. The whole wall shakes back and forth about a full 3/8 of an inch. needless to say, I am very careful when running tests to keep the level rather low. It gets nutty 20hz with anything over 90db--which is easy for that beast. As much as I love my system, I am like most in here--I still have more bigger/better plans for improvements. Only time will tell what I actually end up with.

I am kind of excited about this evening. I have a buddy coming over to see my system for the first time. He absolutely loves his Onkyo HTIB system. The last time we talked he kept going on and on about how good of a sub that little 8" that came with the system is. I was polite and didn't say anything--needless to say tonght will be a wake up call for him and should be fun.

I have all the usuals ready:

M&C
Haunting
FoF
SW I, II
LOTR --many scenses from all three movies
Monsters Inc
Nemo
BHD
Titan AE
and of course the king of all bass scenes WOW CH5.

Plus I will throw in a few of my favorite surround sound testers:
final destination 2--car wreck
behind enemy lines--mine field and heat seaking missle chase scene in the beginning
house of flying daggers--echo game
hero--arrow attack and blue library

Again, it should be fun. I have running scared from netflix that we may watch depending on what ehy bring over with them.

I have all the usuals ready:

M&C
Haunting
FoF
SW I, II
LOTR --many scenses from all three movies
Monsters Inc
Nemo
BHD
Titan AE
and of course the king of all bass scenes WOW CH5.

Plus I will throw in a few of my favorite surround sound testers:
final destination 2--car wreck
behind enemy lines--mine field and heat seaking missle chase scene in the beginning
house of flying daggers--echo game
hero--arrow attack and blue library
.

I'm pretty new to this thread...actually, a pretty new member with my first HT setup. What are the full titles of these listed below?
FoF
SW I, II
BHD
WOW CH5

Flight of (oops should hav been FoP) Pheonix
Star Wars Episode I and II
Black Hawk Down
War of the Worlds

Flight of the F(ph)oenix
Star Wars ep 1 and 2
blackhawk down
war of the worlds

FoF - I don't recognize.

SW I, II = Star Wars - Episode I and II

BHD = Black Hawk Down

WOW CH5 = War of the Worlds - Chapter 5

Someone will fill in the other title I'm sure,

DE

Looks like we all posted at once...

...........I am kind of excited about this evening. I have a buddy coming over to see my system for the first time. He absolutely loves his Onkyo HTIB system. The last time we talked he kept going on and on about how good of a sub that little 8" that came with the system is. I was polite and didn't say anything--needless to say tonght will be a wake up call for him and should be fun..........
I never suspected you had a cruel streak! ;) Have a camera ready to snap his reaction. This should be GOOD! :eek: :D

FoF - I don't recognize.

SW I, II = Star Wars - Episode I and II

BHD = Black Hawk Down

WOW CH5 = War of the Worlds - Chapter 5

Someone will fill in the other title I'm sure,

DE

Looks like we all posted at once...

cool...thanks ya'll! i've been getting my movies at walmart...have any other suggestions where we can get dvds for cheap?

I have 3 sources right now.
If you love movies you should probably be signed up with netflix already anyway. I love the service. 3 movies out at a time 2 day turn around and just about any movie you could ever want (excluding "adult" entertainment) for about $19.00 a month. The best we have done is 20 a month--less than $1 per movie rental. typically we get about 10--still way cheaper than the local video store--plus the convenience of it is worth 5 times what they charge. They have tons of "previously viewed" movies for sale for pretty good prices--all of the new releases are usually like $6-8.

The other is a local used CD/Games place right down the street. I have traded some in that kind of stink (for example I bought Bad Boys from walmart for about $5 out of a clearance bin--it was an old DVD copy that was highly compressed--the sound quality sucked--I had to turn the volume up a full 10db past normal to get close to the same level and it still sucked. I traded that in--I think they gave me $4 for it. They have movies that range from $4-15 depending on demand or whatever. Typically I don't buy any that are over $8 (which is by far the most common cost). Plus when you buy 3 you get the 4th free--so every time I go I buy 3 for $24 and get 4 movies for a $6 per movie average--not bad. Check your local area such a store. I have found it to be a gold mine for some more obscure titles. Lastly, check pawn shops. I have one within a decent drive of my house, but I have some friends that live in the city--everytime we go visit them we make a point to hit a couple of them. There are no guarantees buying from pawn shops--so really check for scratches and pay real close attention to the artwork on the disc itself--it shouldn't be a sticker--sure sign you have bootlegged/burned copy--my experience with these is that they suck. Also really look at the cover and make sure it is not a generic with a computer printer quality insert, another dead give away. I won't go into specifics, but I know someone who has tons of these and they are always offering them to me to watch--I did only once, and won't do it again. They swear the quality is perfect and on their 26" CRT and Aiwa compact surround system it might be just fine, but on my system they stink. It is more frustrating to watch a bad copy than it is to wait to get a good copy for yourself. Most of the DVD's I have bought from pawn shops have been for $5.

Also, there are tons of places online if you have the time to wade through them all. there are good deals to be had. but in order my three favorites are agian:
Netflix
Local used shop
Pawn shops.

Plus I do always check Best buy, circuit city, and walmart for "clearence movies" really try not pay more than $8 or $9 for a movie and typically won't jump on anything as being a bargain unless it is around $5--as I know I can get it for that at a pawn shop or the used place. Only a few select copies that I really wanted did I pay more for--a few superbits and DTS copies of awesome movies--Hero, house of flying daggers and the extended version of LOTR.

Don't forget about http://www.dvdpricesearch.com/.

just about every DVD I have in my collection I have bought since I purchased the SVS, so basically I have been watching many movies again for the first time on a real system--it is a whole other experience all together. many scenes and many movies you never knew had bass in them at all, now shake you off of the couch--oh yeah I am a bit of a volume junky too. typically in the -10 to -5 from reference range. Wall rattling is very accurate description. I am discovering rattles in new places all the time. The front wall of my theater really resonates right at 20hz--bad. I guess the distance from the sub is just right or something, but when I run sine waves through it, I am fearful that I am going to rip the nails out of the wall--literally. I have never seen anything like it. The whole wall shakes back and forth about a full 3/8 of an inch. needless to say, I am very careful when running tests to keep the level rather low. It gets nutty 20hz with anything over 90db--which is easy for that beast.

LOL you sound just like this guy named Paul who used to post all the time on the eCoustics forum, he also bought the exact same sub and reported very similar experiences. He also was in the habit of calling it his "beast." :D

Speaking of Netflix, a friend of mine recently upped his subscription from 3 max out at a time to 6 out at a time---because he bought a DVD recorder and a nifty little copy-protection neutralizer. I think he must've quadrupled his movie collection in under 2 months! Only downer, aside from the illegality of it, is that the dubbed DVDs are only in 2-channel DPL which his receiver has to convert to 5.1...not quite as good as the native multi-channel soundtrack of course but not that far off either.

cool...thanks ya'll! i've been getting my movies at walmart...have any other suggestions where we can get dvds for cheap?

I recently used deepdiscountdvd for the first time - no problems and a great price on the Firefly box set.

DE

Only downer, aside from the illegality of it, is that the dubbed DVDs are only in 2-channel DPL which his receiver has to convert to 5.1...not quite as good as the native multi-channel soundtrack of course but not that far off either.

Why was he only ripping the 2 channel track?

All of the DVD ripping software I've seen have no problem encoding the DD and/or DTS tracks.

Why was he only ripping the 2 channel track?

All of the DVD ripping software I've seen have no problem encoding the DD and/or DTS tracks.

he has a standalone burner, not a computer-based one. I think it's a Panasonic es15. I asked him why he doesn't do it on his PC and he said he prefers the ease of use of a standalone.

Why was he only ripping the 2 channel track?

All of the DVD ripping software I've seen have no problem encoding the DD and/or DTS tracks.

Yup...I use DVD-Shrink and it encodes the DD or DTS tracks...my only question is if it compresses the audio files, just like how it does with video, to fit the 4.7GB dvd-r. Will sound quality degrade on burnt discs? That would be cool if we can see waterfall comparisons of the same clip: original vs burnt copy.

he has a standalone burner, not a computer-based one. I think it's a Panasonic es15. I asked him why he doesn't do it on his PC and he said he prefers the ease of use of a standalone.

Ahh, gotcha.

I wonder if that was an intentional decision to keep the media attorneys happy...

Don't forget The Incredibles

Well my little experiment went ok last night. I didn't get to play with all the scenes I wanted to--as we chatted and had dinner up until about 9:00. They brought over inside man and we wathced that. Before dinner I did pop in my LFE show off disc. We watched the Hauting door knocking scene and master and commader attack scene--that was it. After the movie, my buddy starting asking all these question about how he could get better sound out of his system, and how much I paid for the projector--I told him and I think he is now kicking himself because he just bought a 50" widescreen LCD a few months ago, for more money. As nice as it is, it just doesn't compare to the 110" projection screen that covers the whole wall. The movie wasn't at all a bass movie, and had potential to be real good, but kind of fell flat.

Ahh, gotcha.

I wonder if that was an intentional decision to keep the media attorneys happy...

yep. I don't think I've ever seen a standalone DVD recorder that had an optical or coaxial audio INPUT, they all use analog RCAs only.

my only question is if it compresses the audio files, just like how it does with video, to fit the 4.7GB dvd-r. Will sound quality degrade on burnt discs?
Only the video portion is compressed, the audio track stays original no matter what level of compression you select.

anybody seen Cars yet? Any good bass scenes?

anybody seen Cars yet? Any good bass scenes?
Saw it. Race scenes seemed to have decent bass. But was hard to tell since the theater seemed to tone down the volume for the kiddies. Overall surround action seemed impressive though.

I think he is now kicking himself because he just bought a 50" widescreen LCD a few months ago, for more money. As nice as it is, it just doesn't compare to the 110" projection screen that covers the whole wall.

Why would he be kicking himself? They were designed for such different goals that I can't really see cross shopping between the two...

http://www.svsound.com/questions-faqs.cfm#moviedemos

in case no one has linked it yet..

invaluable

Serenity is hands down my favorite sub movie at this point. Except it clipped my subs big-time on the opening.... (sigh). Guess that means I gotta get BIGGER subs, RIGHT? :^)

Serenity is hands down my favorite sub movie at this point. Except it clipped my subs big-time on the opening.... (sigh). Guess that means I gotta get BIGGER subs, RIGHT? :^)

Nope, that means you have to turn the volume down...

The rest of us can listen to it loud :p

Dunno if this one has been mentioned, but I Robot has some good bass in it IMO. Lots of gunshots and the tunnel scene when Will Smith gets harrassed by the NS5s is pretty nice.

Mike

http://www.svsound.com/questions-faqs.cfm#moviedemos

in case no one has linked it yet..

invaluable
The list looks good but they missed a few....like that hanging scene in "The Grudge". Now that is bass. Also, they mention T2 but leave T3 out. Whad up wid dat? I don't know why Solarmax doesn't get any mention on these pages to speak of. For bass, it should be everyone's reference DVD. Fires of Quwait I thought had some powerfull bass in it.

It seems at this point that the forum should take the bull by the horns and clearly define what the parameters are for a movie to get top honors as a true bass-aholics movie. Otherwise, every tomdicinary will want to get in. I can't set the standards but I will say that they should be pretty high and rigorous. For instance

The number of bass heavy scenes

The length of the scenes

The lower frequency reached

for how long

SPL reached

How dynamic was it from the scene before

Did it wake your kids up? Nah...just kidding...of course it doesn't say much about the movie if they SLEPT through it though:>)

Serenity is hands down my favorite sub movie at this point. Except it clipped my subs big-time on the opening.... (sigh). Guess that means I gotta get BIGGER subs, RIGHT? :^)

with a name like "bigdaddy" I think you get to do just about whatever you want:>) of course, when your wife comes down on you for spending the babies diaper money on new subwoofers, don't come cryin to us :p

...I don't know why Solarmax doesn't get any mention on these pages to speak of. For bass, it should be everyone's reference DVD...
Maybe because hardly anyone has seen it? ;)

(It's been rated by 64 people on IMDb, vs over 19,000 for The Grudge and nearly 202,000 for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.)

Thanks for calling it to our attention, though.

The Hills Have Eyes(2006) and Final Destination 3, both reach down to the low 20s

Hills have eyes a very good movie?? I seen the original.. just curious

Hills have eyes a very good movie?? I seen the original.. just curious

I liked it, the way the story expands into the nuclear testing area. It's not for the screamish, very brutal and graphic.

I like the original too.

I liked it, the way the story expands into the nuclear testing area. It's not for the screamish, very brutal and graphic.

I like the original too.

I think screamish is okay... it's the squeamish that should stay away.
;)