Sound quality at movie theaters

[MusicLover]

Where I live, the only close theater is Hoyts Cinema 10, and one of the reasons I don't like to go there is because of the absolutely disgusting sound quality. My ears actually started bleeding once from the harsh, shrill, shrieking highs (just kidding, but they probably would have if the sound was any louder). There were also so many snap, crackle, and pops that they must take care of their films like Sony Streetstylers take care of their cd's. Plus, the theaters are as small as altoid amps.

Is the movie theater by you good or bad, in terms of everything that makes up a movie theater experience?

 

[ProFingerSk8er]

there's a Cinema 21 not far from where i live....the biggest theaters can hold up to 400 people..
they have about 24 of those those JBL loud speakers/woofers.. and yes they do sound nasty, i think those speakers were designed to play loud and shake your hears. i wouldnt expect any high-quality sound from those

 

[KJ869]

In Finlad in last 3 years all Movie Theaters have increased the volume to not nice levels. I have visited 10 Hall's in 5 diffrent theaters, all no have the same problem, and no its not my hearing my friends have complained same thing, thou not in same levels as I. Last time I had my hearing Checked was 4 years ago and then i had some problems whit hearing of right ear. If I neeed to wear Earplugs(No, Im not kidding, if i dont my hears will ring afterwards and head hurt), how can people whit normal hearing stand it? I have been wonderign why in earth was it increased.

 

[BDA_ABAT]

Sound quality in the theaters near me has decreased over the past several years. Quality has decreased and volume has increased! I now pack Etymotic ER-20 ear plugs when going to the movies. Got a pair for my wife because even she was complaining about the noise!

Bruce

 

[sacriste]

Same problem in Venezuela. Theathers all over the world are supposed to work according to an standard. The makers of the film work all the sound chain according to this standard so you can enjoy the movie the way they intended to be ( e.g. soft love conversations and loud explosions). The sound system in the theather has to be calibrated to be faithful to the artistic idea of the makers. It seems that´s not happenning anywhere, maybe the operator just set the level from his closed place according to his taste and don´t even go out and seat in the middle rows to hear if is OK. The results is people yelling at your ear all the time and very distorted action scene sound. Have you tried complaining to the theather or the theather company? Next time I go to the movies I'll take my SPL meter there and see the level. I think is well beyond healthy levels. And they call head-fiers crazy...

 

[rickcr42]

way too loud , no left to right let alone front to back separation.
Bass modes breaking up,shrill top end , slap echo

sheeesh

state of the art sound systems being set up by guys that should be working at McDonalds (probably screw that up too)

Main reason i sometimes wait for the DVD so i can watch it at home with good surround effects and actually here what the hell is going on

BATTEN DOWN THE CHINA WE GOIN' FOR A RIDE !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[dhwilkin]

My home theater sound > local movie theater sound.

 

[timoteus]

I find the sound systems all sound about the same. Too loud and one note bass where the footfall of a dinosaur sounds exactly like the sound effects they use for a thundering waterfall.

I would have loved to have experienced the theaters of the past. Western Electric or Altec horns the size of a truck and tube amps. Played in an old theater designed with acoustics in mind instead of today's box theaters with a rug on the wall. THX doesn't mean a thing, it's not even a standard. If you pay George Lucas some money you can put THX Certified on a boom box.

 

[blessingx]

Volume levels definitely have increased in San Francisco, especially in the chain theaters with THX, etc. Last two plays on Broadway seemed to go the same route. Everyone wants IMPACT! Don't care about hearing, just want to feel everything.

 

[lan]

Quote:

Originally posted by dhwilkin My home theater sound > local movie theater sound.

yeah my headphones > the theaters here.

 

[brent_mr2]

I like AMC the best, they're in California. I went to a San Jose location and the sound was the best I've ever heard in a theater.

Out here, we have Regal and one Century theater, they are both the same as far as sound quality goes IMO. But I like Century better than Regal because they are less commercial (and show fewer commercials too). The good thing about Regal is they have a regal crown club where you can earn free movies, popcorn and soda (something after every $25 spent).

 

[miroslav]

I saw "The Matrix: Reloaded" in a huge 1500 seat cinema in Belgarde the other day and the sound was decent. The bass notes hit rrrrealy low in that tribal dance scene.

The sound systems in smaller cinemas are set to just a bit louder then I`d like them to be over here as well.

On the other hand, both screen and sound systems in my native town cinema are horrible. I don`t think they invested any money in upgrading those in the last 15 years.

 

[zeplin]

OUt of all the Regals I've been to, they use Klipsch.
Out of all the AMC's I've been to, they use Infinity.
All sound like crap. Just ear piercing treble with thunderuss, distorting bass rumble for every kind of bass note. If they could just calibrate the system better

Word of advice, if you ever find that you come out of a theater with your ears ringing, just complain to a manager, and ask for a free movie pass...works everytime and it is only right for them to repay you somehow for potentially ruining your hearing. The same goes for any other problems you might have during a movie viewing.

 

[aerius]

The only places left around here with decent sound are the IMAX theatres. Everything else sounds like crap and the theatres are so cheaply built that the projectors shake all over the place making the movie unwatchable. All the good theatres went down a few years ago when they started building megaplexes all over the place and handicapped people started bitching about wheelchair (or lack thereof) access in the oll style theatres, which led to a mass close down.

Some of those old theatres had wonderful acoustics and none of them had jitter problems with their projectors.

 

[terrymx]

i refuse to go to a threatre or a metal show unless i have an earplug or something like that. my hearing is too precious