Good venues use Meyer Sound arrays including movie theatres.
Bryston also does amplification for large movie theatres, but less known to be used widely. |
So far, I've yet to experience a better sound from a theater than from my own set up, and it's not really a HT setup. Granted, the sound from a theater has more boom and is room filling, but when a get a blu-ray copy and play it at home, I hear so much more in all categories save for the bass. It still rocks my socks but doesn't threaten the neighbors.
The same goes for the video quality as well. What looked great during the theater experience pales to what I get at home.
All the best,
Nonoise |
I only darken the door of a movie house to see " Live from the Metropolitan Opera", but my AMC 16 does a good job with that. |
I find the audio at most theaters too loud. |
I'd like to know of some specific theaters that use Meyer or Bryston. I think both of those brands are far too expensive for movie theaters, but would like to be wrong about that. |
I never noticed much difference until I went to the Alamo Drafthouse and listened to their "State-of-the-art bi-amplified QSC digital audio system" It is a little bright and thin but has pretty good dynamic range and detail and is miles ahead of other cinemas in town.
Impressive picture quality too.
Overall I find the experience worth the extra dollar or two they charge. |
The Breeze and The Ride cinemas using Meyer Sound.
Bryston isn't used in US, but probably has some info on theatres equipped with Bryston sound. They demoed their huge cube-like multi-channel poweramp for commercial cinema setups. |
Thanks Czarivey. Here in the SF Bay Area, as far as I know, we don't have any premium theaters of that kind. But after I posted my earlier comment, I remembered going to a theater like that in Hollywood a few years ago and being knocked out by the picture and sound. I take it there are several such places in and around LA. Definitely worth the premium ticket price. |
Too FREAKIN LOUD!!!
I always take in a pair of ear plugs. |
Agree with everyone who said it's too loud, at least in most theaters I've been to. Arclight Cinemas in LA might be the exception, but don't know what sound system they use. |
JBL is the biggest supplier to theaters across the u.s. |
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We frequent a Cobb Theater complex and their audio is, as others noted elsewhere, TOO LOUD during movies. We saw a Bolshoi Ballet live broadcast from the Marinsky Theater recently at the Cobb Theater complex and the audio quality was pretty decent, not as good as at home, but pretty good. (Pathé Pictures from Paris was doing the video/audio technicals.) The oddest part of the experience was the fact that the live orchestra was, of course, in the pit below stage level but the sound was reproduced with the orchestra coming from above stage level. Very disconcerting. |
Way too loud. I frequently ask the manager to turn down the volume at local theaters. Sometimes they actually do it, and I make it a point to thank them later. Once, I was told that, for IMAX productions, there is no local control over sound, including volume...they can't turn it down. He was probably lying, but he did suggest avoiding IMAX if I was "sensitive" to loud sounds. I also don't go in the theater during the previews, which are much louder than the feature. |
I agree, way too loud and sounds like crap. That was 11 years ago and I have not had any inclination to return.
The sad part is the masses enjoy this brutal sound so the theaters give them want they want.
Live sports events are no better. One is constantly assaulted by the PA system. |
yo'all watchin' very loud movies with guns and bombs and toobadoombadam pif-paf vroomvroom xbox ps3 typ'o stuff. there are different movies that sound better and more quiet, but they're not made in hollywood and perhaps not of interest of an average viewer barely possessing high-school diploma. |
We saw Interstellar at an iMax theater last week. Wow -- possibly the greatest cinema experience I've ever had. Not necessarily a great movie, but damn, what a trip on the super big screen. Didn't seem too loud either. |
The movie in question was Minority Report which in itself was ok.
I have no desire to see creatures fly through the air in all directions, morph from on thing to the other, blood and guts everywhere, and explosions every two seconds. So just count me out. |
Most of the cinemas I'm familiar with use entry level professional QSC amps... the RMX series. Entry level QSC amps are very reliable and cheap. As far as sound goes in the movie theaters.. everything always sounds clean to me, but their speakers never seem to disappear like my speakers do in my audio room. Anyway, I don't let that loud shit distract me from enjoying the movie... I actually kind of like it. BTW, I thought Interstellar was a really good movie.. I actually enjoyed it immensely! |
Drubin - I wish I had been to your IMAX! I thought the visuals were great at the IMAX in Westminster, CO, but the LFE channel was turned up so loud I could not hear the dialog. There are several posts on the web about it, so it wasn't just my aging, rock-abused ears. Even my wife, who has radar-ears said the same thing. Also the movie could have used tighter editing, it was at least 15 minutes too long. Just my $0.02, YMMV. |
Way too loud for me!!! Rather watch at home anymore!!! |
Agreed with way too loud volume. The over all sound is usually unrefined, compressed, hard and edgy......but that is usually the way the sound track has been mastered. In combination with a system that is made more to industrial standards presents with limitations. |
Went to see a flick Xmas eve. TOO LOUD! Otherwise not bad. Sort of a wall of sound which was at least clear and detailed. |
I cannot enjoy it when it's too loud (which it usually, if not always, is). |
