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The Low Frequency Content Thread (films, games, music, etc)


maxmercy

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I watched a movie recently that had some passages with lots of energy in single-digit frequencies: Hidden. An interesting little movie with some tense scenes. Here is a spectrograph taken at the 51 min mark:

hidden.jpg

My spectrogram only shows down to 10 Hz, but you can see there will be a lot of energy under that point. 

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X-Men:Apocalypse - 7.1 DTSHDMA

 

Level - 4 Stars (112.2dB composite, only 0.3dB away from 5-Star)

Extension - 5 Stars (1Hz)

Dynamics - 5 Stars (27.6dB, 0.1dB above threshold)

Execution - TBD

 

Overall  - TBD

 

Comments - Appears to have some soft limiting, clipped passages very few and far between, mainly in center channel.  Actually a 12Hz film, that 1Hz bump gives it 5 Star extension.

 

 

JSS

 

post-20-0-40568800-1476363909.jpg

 

I just watched this.  I think this is a good one, and I'm surprised it isn't being discussed here more.  The soundtrack is a good, clean home mix, which I now understand is almost always the case with any feature that's done with Atmos in the cinema.  It's a tad loud, but just a tad.  I watched at "-5.5" vs. "-4" for theatrical track for my room.  I didn't notice any of the clipping.

 

The bass is used generously, and the effects I like the variety of effects and bandwidths used.  There's definitely plenty going on below 30 Hz.  Below 20 Hz, the effect at 16 Hz stood out in a few scenes.  Other than that, most of the real low stuff just added weight to the transients.  I'm not sure if the content under 15 Hz is really audible, but I'll probably give this one another viewing some day using my new subs.  This one definitely used the sub capability I have to the max.

 

I liked the movie itself too as I did the first reboot.  Of course, it's nothing too novel as far as Marvel movies go these days, but it works.

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I watched Beauty and the Beast at the cinema over the weekend.  The biggest screen so should have had the best sound - or so you would have hoped...

 

It was ridiculously loud, like it had that 'edge' that you get when you just need to turn it down a couple of dB to make it comfortable, yet this was a screen half full of kids.  Hardly good for their more sensitive hearing...

 

Anyway, when we weren't being deafened there did seem to be reasonable dynamic range on it, and there was quite a lot of bass at times, although it wasn't particularly low.  I'm going to thrown my hat in the ring and predict it's filtered, which would be a shame if it is, as it reminds me of some of the large productions from the earlier days of cinema.

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The FFT windows used at AVS are different than the entire data bass here.  I measured Hacksaw and should post it up next week, it looks a little different.

 

For BEQ on R1, I would probably take the peak down a little and add some <20Hz for a more TIH/Hacksaw looking graph, but I have to listen to it first and see what all the channels are doing and where the LF is at...

 

JSS

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I watched Beauty and the Beast at the cinema over the weekend.  The biggest screen so should have had the best sound - or so you would have hoped...

 

It was ridiculously loud, like it had that 'edge' that you get when you just need to turn it down a couple of dB to make it comfortable, yet this was a screen half full of kids.  Hardly good for their more sensitive hearing...

 

Could it be that the sound was just too thin and/or bright?  That will definitely contribute a lot of edge.

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Could it be that the sound was just too thin and/or bright?  That will definitely contribute a lot of edge.

 

I hear what you're saying (now my hearing has recovered, lol) but it was a case of speech causing one to wince slightly - I usually set my listening level by whether speech is 'comfortable' or not, and this definitely wasn't comfortable...

 

I suppose it could have been lack of bottom end meaning it sounded unbalanced and harsher - I think I might pick it up after it's come out (and come down in price ;) ) so I can listen to it on system I know sounds alright when set at a reasonable level!

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I hear what you're saying (now my hearing has recovered, lol) but it was a case of speech causing one to wince slightly - I usually set my listening level by whether speech is 'comfortable' or not, and this definitely wasn't comfortable...

 

I suppose it could have been lack of bottom end meaning it sounded unbalanced and harsher - I think I might pick it up after it's come out (and come down in price ;) ) so I can listen to it on system I know sounds alright when set at a reasonable level!

 

Speech causing one to wince is a pretty good sign of unbalance toward high frequencies.  Though it may also just be too loud.

 

As for listening to it at home, it'll probably be remixed for home, which is generally a good thing these days.

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Wouldn't folks be better off buying ported, rather than sealed subs for there HT?

Since most flicks today don't  have much to offer, down into single digit territory.

 

But wouldn't you rather have the capability to reproduce it when it is there?  ;)

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But wouldn't you rather have the capability to reproduce it when it is there?  ;)

I agree 100%.  Unless the amount of sealed subs you can fit/afford won't hit your target SPL goal, have no desire at all for ULF or don't like the feeling of ULF I really don't see a reason to go ported.  I'm not ignorant to the fact that ported or horns have some major advantages over sealed wrt output around tune and distortion and whatnot... but if you're able to get the SPL, FR curve and low distortion that you desire with sealed, I really see no reason to go to anything else. For me? 3 cap S2's in a sealed room about 840cubes on a suspended floor?? I wouldn't trade it for the freaking world!

 

And wrt new movies not containing much down to the singles.. there are still plenty that have recently come out that sound excellent and dig deep.

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The ratio of recent movies with real ULF is about the same as it's been for the last fifteen years, more or less.  I think what's risen is the number of high profle movies you would expect to have powerful bass but end up being completely gimped (ST:B) or the flipside: movies we didn't expect much out of that ended up having a good amount of junk in the trunk (BvS).

 

On the good side it looks like the loudness war is abating, at least a bit.  Of course we have movies coming from both Michael Bay and Christopher Nolan this year so we'll see if that war is really over or just dormant.

 

As far as whether a sealed system is worth it........I would love to have one, but it's just not in the cards right now.  So I settle for my ported sub that's tuned to 16Hz.  It can't plumb the real deep stuff, but it goes low enough that I can hear (and feel) a major difference between movies like Spectre and Hacksaw Ridge.

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I watched 'Birdman' the other night - I'd forgotten I'd bought it and it was on the top of the pile, so we gave it a watch :D

 

It's no ULF monster (as in there is pretty much none  lol) but has an excellent drum track as the score, which would sound great on a well-aligned system with 'tight' bass. 

 

The film's also weird but good - it's a recommend from me!

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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - Dolby ATMOS

 

Level - 4 Stars (110.4dB composite)

Extension - 3 Stars (18Hz)

Dynamics - 5 Stars (29.8dB)

Execution - TBD 

 

Overall - TBD

 

Notes - No clipping, great surround work, could have used some ULF in some scenes.  Good film save for a few corny scenes.

 

post-20-0-49184900-1490836179.jpg

 

JSS

post-20-0-49184900-1490836179_thumb.jpg

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