Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Movie theaters sound stinks!

Is it just me? Or do movie theaters have no bass. And for that matter crappy surround sound. I know its hard and all to make good bass in a large room especially in the middle of a large room, but can't it be done?

Every time I have gone to the movies and seen a movie with the potential for good sound I always tell myself, "Oh well, sure can't wait for that to come out on DVD so I can really check it out on my home system".

Wasn't home theater supposed to mimic the actual movie theater? It seems the movie theaters have some serious catching up to do with home systems if you ask me. I'm sure they spend a grip of money on their sound systems but they just don't sound that good. I dare the theaters in my area to come up with sound half as good as what comes out of my system. Thanks AXIOM you ruined the movies for me. Well at least the ones that I view in movie theaters and not my home. Compliment, please don't take negatively.

Man I totally agree with you. I think the problem is the amount of space in a typical theater. I'm pretty sure most theaters use high-end/expensive equipment, but the volume they have to fill is simply too much. I could be wrong tho.

Its much easier for our Axioms to liven our living rooms whereas theater speakers have to fill 10x-50x (wild guess) the amount of sq ft.

That is why i used the pair of movie tickets for my girlfriend and I valued at $20 a pop to invest in a monthly account with Netflix. DVDs are so much fun in your home system.

I partially agree. Seems like a lot of highs, and flabby bass, no middle for the theaters around me. Reminds me of a Bose system with the "bass module" blown.

I saw Star Wars E3 in a newer theater and the sound was just OK. Now, when I watched Star Wars E2 on DVD with my Axioms and SVS, WOW!!! I never knew that a lightsaber had so much range in mids and lows. I was looking forward to that in E3, but I guess I will have to wait until the DVD is out for that too.

I think it's important to sit in the middle of the theater. Finding the sweet spot makes the sound a bit better. Sometimes, though, one is forced to sit to the side to enjoy the full force of the side surrounds. Painful indeed. Those giant horns can be a bit much.

I always make sure that I am there with enough time to sit in the middle. You are right that the sound stage is more enveloping, but it still doesn't help with the over powering highs and loose bass.

I'm giggling - Ian stopped going to theaters in the early 80s!! I dragged him into one in Manhattan in 2002 and he was amazed at the changes, (popcorn used to only be $5 a bag!) but still cringing at the sound.

i agree, i saw Episode 3 and i thought the opening battle scene would be great for sound effects and have good use of the surrounds. not so much. i was sitting up in the left rear of the theater, but there wasn't much at all coming out of the surrounds. oh well, i guess to wait till the fall/winter for dvd to hear it the way it oughta be. plus then we don't have to deal with people talking through the movie!

Here in Nick and I's home town, we have about 5 theaters that are THX certified, ok stop laughing everyone Basically the side walls and rear walls are lined with direct radiating speakers, along with speakers near the front, not sure about a sub. Why do you think Axiom's quadpolar speakers are such a smash, they replace this theory of lining your walls with speakers.

Anyway, I also agree that the sound was not the best, especially when compared to my own setup with Axiom's. Like Nick I also try to sit about halfway up and in the center. My buddy wanted to sit in the front row, I told him go ahead but your nuts since the screen was a 60' screen

Maybe the movie theaters just don't sound as good because they don't use Axioms??? Anyone ever think of that?

I too was disappointed with the theater when I saw Star Wars E3. I too will wait for the dvd and enjoy it at home.

I'm lucky enough to live in Los Angeles, and we've likely got some of the finest movie houses in the world. The sound in many of them is quite good. Though I have to admit an "average" theatre is downright awful.

You're all going to go see Batman Begins in IMAX, right? Our sound systems are 10x better than a regular theatre.

Ou rnew IMAX in Des Moines won't be showing any "first run," or whatever you want to call them, movies until next year, so I would have to drive 6 hours to Chicago.. I don't think that I will be doing that. I hope that it is good. Can't be worse than the last couple bat flicks.

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Ian stopped going to theaters in the early 80s!!

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1996's The Fan was the last movie I saw in a theatre, though we have attended the drive-in a few times since (which is a different experience altogether). Mediocre sound, idiot patrons, no chance to pause it and pop out for a smoke and generally my lack of being able to sit still for 2 hours just make it an exercise in futility.

One of the audio techs I used to work with hadn't been to one since the 60s... he had the same problem with sitting still... must come with working in a situation where everyone else is sitting and watching a broadcast or event and it's your job not to sit quietly and watch.

Bren R.

I thought it was just me! I saw Star Wars last Friday. During the ads, and previews, I was thinking "man this sound really sucks! I hope it's better during the movie". Well it wasn't any better, they had it turned up so loud that I had to plug my ears for 75% of the movie. The sound was REALLY bright, lots of ssssibalence, it was physically painful. I was sitting in the middle of a full house, so I didn't want to get up and climb over everyone. I kept seeing other people leave the theater, I was thinking and hoping that they were complaining about the sound,"Am I the only one here here being tortured by this noise? those people have to be complaining" Well aparently none of them complained, because it never got any better. It totally runined the movie for me, all I could think about was how loud and crappy sounding it was, why don't they do something about it? After the show I looked for someone to complain to, all I could find were pimply faced 16 year olds, so I didn't bother.

From what I've seen Batman Begins looks very, very good. They've really developed the story, and avoided camp at all costs.

spiff, when will Batman Begins be at the The Bridge IMAX?

Same day as the 35mm version, June 15th.

I've seen a couple IMAX movies, and the IMAX sound beats HT, but HT blows away regular movies.

This just means that it is possible to have good sound in a regular theater, if it can be done in an IMAX one. They have a much more extensive speaker setup in our IMAX theater though.