How good is the bass at your local movie theater?

[alexwakelin]

There are a number of reasons I don't see many movies in the theater: cost, noisy people, uncomfortable seats, etc. The majority of theaters I have been to have had pretty lousy bass. The bass at my local movie theater is barely there, you can hear it, but even during loud action scenes you can't feel it. I saw Star Trek down in Tucson, and while you could feel the bass in some scenes, it was far from impressive. I would gladly pay movie theater prices if there were theaters out there with jaw dropping, knock your socks off bass (and of course the rest of the sound up to the same standard). Does such a thing exist?

 

[joegator81]

I had the same experience when i went to see Wolverine the other night. Usually theaters simply smack you in the face w/ shrill volume. This time there was no bass OR volume. The whole experience was completely uninvolving. It pretty much re affirms that any money i spend towards home theatre is money well spent!

 

[anamorphic96]

I will agree with you guys that alot of the older theaters have poor bass and tend to be under subbed. However some of the newer theaters being made have some pretty impressive systems being installed. The theater companies have caught on to some extent. The newer Harkins sites in Arizona have some of the most advanced sound systems installed anywhere in the United States. There Cine Capri houses along with the bigger houses at the newer complexes have 8 to 12 sub bass cabinets installed. Typically 4 to 6 of the subs extend to 30hz then the other cabinets designed for the lowest octaves extend down to 17hz. All of Harkins newer sites use tri-amped Klipsch speaker systems powered by QSC amps.

The biggest problem is the management tends to keep the volume down due to complaints of the movies being to loud. Some theaters are better than others at maintaining decent volume. Sometimes asking the theater to turn the volume up can help.

It can definitely be frustrating out there but there are some well managed theaters with great sound that do put on good shows. But at the same time they have to try and strike a happy medium.

The policy at my theater is turn the volume up to a decent level for the bigger action flicks since most people will want this but try and find a nice balance for the movies that might attract an older crowd which tend to like the volume at a lower level.

But even then my theater is under subbed in the larger houses and doesn't have the best low end but I try to do the best with what I have.

If anyone has a chance to visit some of the theaters in Hollywood please do so. The Chinese and Arclight Cinerama Dome have some of the finest sound anywhere in the world. This includes the Arclight multilpex behind the Cinerama Dome. Which is constantly being tuned by Dolby for premiers and press screenings. The JBL systems installed are reference quality with some of the finest sub bass I have ever heard in a movie theater. These auditoriums give you exactly what the director wanted you to hear. They also keep the volume at near reference level which helps alot.

 

[alexwakelin]

We have a Harkins here in Flagstaff, and sometimes they turn it up loud, but it's way undersubbed. The Harkins here in Flagstaff has no competition, so I guess they don't have much incentive to spend a lot on the sound system. I saw Star Trek at a Harkins in Tucosn, but again, bass was unimpressive. Scottsdale has a Cine Capri, which I drive past sometimes on my way to Phoenix, never been there though.

The newer Harkins sites in Arizona have some of the most advanced sound systems installed anywhere in the United States

Do you happen to know which ones? I might check one out if I have a chance (Special trip for Transformers maybe).

 

[anamorphic96]

We have a Harkins here in Flagstaff, and sometimes they turn it up loud, but it's way undersubbed. The Harkins here in Flagstaff has no competition, so I guess they don't have much incentive to spend a lot on the sound system. I saw Star Trek at a Harkins in Tucosn, but again, bass was unimpressive. Scottsdale has a Cine Capri, which I drive past sometimes on my way to Phoenix, never been there though.


Do you happen to know which ones? I might check one out if I have a chance (Special trip for Transformers maybe).

I helped install the Casa Grande 14, Tucson Spectrum 18, and Norterra 14.

You can kinda see the theme with the newer sites. They should be using the Klipsch systems I talked about. A couple of the newer sites are all DLP projection as well. Not sure the names. But a little googling should help.

 

[mtrycrafts]

There are a number of reasons I don't see many movies in the theater: cost, noisy people, uncomfortable seats, etc. ...

May I suggest the first showings on Sundays My local costs $5.50 and not crowded at all.

 

[CraigV]

Well, it is a sea bass, and while the presentation is nice, it’s still a bit too “fishy” for my taste

Oh wait - you said bass…

 

[MidnightSensi]

My local theater is in South Beach, so they keep it absolutely cranked. The sound is fairly good... but, they always keep the volume very high.... so, I give them an A for that.

When I go to other theaters, I always miss the volume level of the South Beach one.

I don't go there too often though. I just like cranking it at home.

There was an old THX theater I used to go to in Chicago that was good, but I think it shut down. Very cool theater though, think it was called McCormik's or something similar? I saw all the Star Wars movies when they re put them out when I was living in Chicago. Huge screen.

 

[j_garcia]

Most in our area are pretty average, but there are two that are THX cert and newer so their systems, in the "big" rooms where they show first run movies, are excellent sound wise. When I saw Terminator:Salvation when it came out, the sound was the most impressive part.

 

[skizzerflake]

Good bass at the Landmark in downtown Baltimore and the Hunt Valley Cinemas but the king of bass is/was the Senator, currently in limbo due to financial problems. This stunning art deco theater had bass so strong that in a few movies I could see and feel my clothes move at the booms. I understand that several years ago the owner went all out and installed 50,000 watts of additional bass; enough to require a special connection from the electric company.

 

[Djizasse]

Room 4 at the theater complex in Alvaláxia (Lisboa, Portugal) has a digital projector and a hell of a sound. When I saw Star Wars III, the opening sequence was just
I felt the bass on my chest, head, arms, legs, the chairs were vibrating, the floor was vibrating...

Strangely enough, everybody was quiet

I just said to my wife: "I want this at home", she promptly replied: "You're crazy"

 

[Lordoftherings]

The bass at my local movie theater? Subpar.

 

[Lordoftherings]

Hey Djizasse, she looks very adorable (Mariana).

 

[captiankirk28]

My movie theater sucks---sounds like they have a Bose 3-2-1 installed