What are the best movie scenes to test and show-off sub-woofers?

NorthStar

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yeah, that scene is very intense!
also in michael mann's 'collateral', there is a scene where cruise is walking with a briefcase and is approached by 2 local wiseguys in the street who intend to rob him. also very intense scene, the decay and then the silence is deafening.

Yes, very good point; this one, with the sound of the gun echoing from the cement walls and nearby buildings in the alley (like an echo chamber in sync with the gun's own chamber):


One of my favorite Michael Mann's flick (on Blu).
 

YashN

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also in michael mann's 'collateral', there is a scene where cruise is walking with a briefcase and is approached by 2 local wiseguys in the street who intend to rob him. also very intense scene, the decay and then the silence is deafening.

I took a long time before watching this movie on Netflix. Great movie!
 

Ronm1

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Crash in Castaway
Surround use hospital in Daredevil when he notices the sonar effect also that use for creepiness with Stir of Echoes( good time of year for that one)
 

Mark Seaton

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Holy s-t...now that is cool. a whole lot of 5hz-10hz activity...yeesh. The only commercial standalone sub (only down 10db at 10hz) i can think of is the Paradigm Sub 2. Of course, there is the Evolution Audio MM7s which are -6db at 3hz i believe and basically flat to 6hz, and perhaps Wilson's Thor's Hammer. I think our Velodyne was measured at 86db at 10hz (vs 103db at 20hz) so probably not going to make it to 5hz.

The cute little REL sealed subs will get to 12Hz, but not at any level that will be useful. The spectrum below 16Hz is generally only solved by high displacement sealed system and the occasional mammoth vented sub equal or larger to the Thor's Hammer, where only a very few vented designs will do anything to or below 10Hz in room. In even very large enclosed spaces, enough sealed subs can be designed to extend to the lower limit of the connected electronics. In typical systems that will range from 3-10Hz, with most enabling 5-8Hz response from an appropriate design. In most rooms you would be looking to have at least 4 of your DD18+ subs to really deliver the experiences you are reading about, with a pair starting to hint at it, and some systems out there more on par to what 8 of the DD18+ subs can produce.

That said, there's much more to great bass performance than flexing the drywall at 10Hz. When I demo subwoofers now I usually pick one loud and low track to finish while looking for more engaging scenes where the bass energy and detail pulls you into the movie or is more percussive and eye-popping rather than just loud. One of my go-to demo's is still the opening scene and then to the final aerial battle in How to Train Your Dragon. You can get some clear dialog, sweeping effects, explosions, huge dragon wings flapping, and of course the epic explosion/crash finale. This also has the benefit of not being too hard on the ears at very high levels vs. say the pipes bursting in the latter 1/2 of the super-intense, U-571 "Depth Charged" scene. Interstellar, while not quite as much ultra-deep as some, has a few super impressive scenes, so long as the listeners realize the dialog sounds vary from clear to distorted due to the director's intent to capture the different acoustic conditions and tension of the moments.
 

NorthStar

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When I demo subwoofers now I usually pick one loud and low track to finish while looking for more engaging scenes where the bass energy and detail pulls you into the movie or is more percussive and eye-popping rather than just loud. One of my go-to demo's is still the opening scene and then to the final aerial battle in
How to Train Your Dragon
. You can get some clear dialog, sweeping effects, explosions, huge dragon wings flapping, and of course the epic explosion/crash finale. This also has the benefit of not being too hard on the ears at very high levels vs. say the pipes bursting in the latter 1/2 of the super-intense, U-571 "Depth Charged" scene. Interstellar, while not quite as much ultra-deep as some, has a few super impressive scenes, so long as the listeners realize the dialog sounds vary from clear to distorted due to the director's intent to capture the different acoustic conditions and tension of the moments.

Interstellar ... excellent mention. ...Several scenes with intense bass energy.

For me, this is my go-to-demo ? subwoofer bass clip (on Blu-ray):


From 0:28 to 0:48
______

"Director John Moore says in his commentary that 'Flight of the Phoenix' will reward your investment in a home theater system, and he isn't kidding. The extended crash sequence a quarter hour into the film is a masterpiece of sonic engineering, and it remains demo material to this day, beautifully delivered (along with the rest of the film's soundtrack) in DTS-HD MA 5.1. In addition to its room-rattling lower end, the intricately layered mix surrounds the listener with a frightful cascade of snapping cables, ripping metal, the impact of dismembered engine parts striking the fuselage and dozens of other sickening sounds that no flier wants to hear, until you're sure it can't get worse—and then the plane strikes a rocky encroachment from a neighboring mountain range and you hear every sound as the rear gets torn open and contents are sucked out and fall to the ground.

Like the rest of the film, the remainder of the 5.1 track is something of a letdown after that intense experience, but the mix continues to be active with plenty of atmosphere and interesting rear channel effects throughout. The Phoenix even makes one last "flight" through the rear channels at the end of the credits. Dialogue is clear and well-rendered, and the old-fashioned adventure-movie score by Marco Beltrami sounds appropriately full and dashing.

Commentary track with Director John Moore: Moore offers special praise to his sound engineers for their work on the sandstorm/crash sequence, for which, Moore says, they literally rewrote the code for the LFE channel of 5.1 sound.

Moore's film is a peculiarly contemporary creation, with its emphasis on visual and sonic elements.
..., crank up your system and cue up the crash sequence. Recommended."


Flight of the Phoenix Blu-ray - 20th Century Fox | 2004 | 113 min

Audio ? English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1



 
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NorthStar

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Great bass moments in this flick ? too, but not as intense as that scene above ? ...'Flight of the Phoenix'.

The sandstorm scene in Mad Max: Fury Road has good bass power; it will energize your room, your couch/chair, the bone carcass structure/foundation inside your entire body (your ears might even flap):


* Crank it up full tilt...THX master reference 0dB level (relative volume display in your pre/pro's front panel window).
 

16hz lover

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Aug 2, 2013
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The cute little REL sealed subs will get to 12Hz, but not at any level that will be useful. The spectrum below 16Hz is generally only solved by high displacement sealed system and the occasional mammoth vented sub equal or larger to the Thor's Hammer, where only a very few vented designs will do anything to or below 10Hz in room. In even very large enclosed spaces, enough sealed subs can be designed to extend to the lower limit of the connected electronics. In typical systems that will range from 3-10Hz, with most enabling 5-8Hz response from an appropriate design. In most rooms you would be looking to have at least 4 of your DD18+ subs to really deliver the experiences you are reading about, with a pair starting to hint at it, and some systems out there more on par to what 8 of the DD18+ subs can produce.
.

Well said Mark, experiencing such subwoofage destroys your previous point of reference.
 

DasguteOhr

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LL21

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The cute little REL sealed subs will get to 12Hz, but not at any level that will be useful. The spectrum below 16Hz is generally only solved by high displacement sealed system and the occasional mammoth vented sub equal or larger to the Thor's Hammer, where only a very few vented designs will do anything to or below 10Hz in room. In even very large enclosed spaces, enough sealed subs can be designed to extend to the lower limit of the connected electronics. In typical systems that will range from 3-10Hz, with most enabling 5-8Hz response from an appropriate design. In most rooms you would be looking to have at least 4 of your DD18+ subs to really deliver the experiences you are reading about, with a pair starting to hint at it, and some systems out there more on par to what 8 of the DD18+ subs can produce.

That said, there's much more to great bass performance than flexing the drywall at 10Hz. When I demo subwoofers now I usually pick one loud and low track to finish while looking for more engaging scenes where the bass energy and detail pulls you into the movie or is more percussive and eye-popping rather than just loud. One of my go-to demo's is still the opening scene and then to the final aerial battle in How to Train Your Dragon. You can get some clear dialog, sweeping effects, explosions, huge dragon wings flapping, and of course the epic explosion/crash finale. This also has the benefit of not being too hard on the ears at very high levels vs. say the pipes bursting in the latter 1/2 of the super-intense, U-571 "Depth Charged" scene. Interstellar, while not quite as much ultra-deep as some, has a few super impressive scenes, so long as the listeners realize the dialog sounds vary from clear to distorted due to the director's intent to capture the different acoustic conditions and tension of the moments.

Thanks for taking the time Mark! From a legend no less! I have admired your systems over the years. We have room for one sub, and the Velodyne Dealer has always delivered great door to door service and installation. But i will say, a 2nd sub has always tempted me, let alone your superb-looking custom setups!

You've given me quite a lot to read above and consider...i was even discussing it with my wife over dinner. Stay tuned!
 

16hz lover

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Mark Seaton

WBF Technical Expert (Speaker & Acoustics)
May 21, 2010
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Thanks for taking the time Mark! From a legend no less! I have admired your systems over the years. We have room for one sub, and the Velodyne Dealer has always delivered great door to door service and installation. But i will say, a 2nd sub has always tempted me, let alone your superb-looking custom setups!

You've given me quite a lot to read above and consider...i was even discussing it with my wife over dinner. Stay tuned!

Certainly let me know if I can give any further input. Audioguy here can attest first hand to how clean the F18s are and their capability into the very lowest frequencies. How large is your listening room and is it closed off? Feel free to move/create a separate thread if more appropriate.
 

LL21

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Certainly let me know if I can give any further input. Audioguy here can attest first hand to how clean the F18s are and their capability into the very lowest frequencies. How large is your listening room and is it closed off? Feel free to move/create a separate thread if more appropriate.

Hi Mark,

Thank you! Most appreciated. I will PM you.
 

NorthStar

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Popalocks system is legendary.:)

Yes. :b


I'll bet his home repair handyman loves his system, judging from the shaking of those doors! Wow!
Lee


The way I see it is like this: He's got the low bass, the right number of subwoofers, the proper amount of watts power, ...he only has to build a solid foundation home theater room detached from his house to put them all in. ...Like build a concrete cement floor, thick walls and doors, like a foot thick solid with strong supports, ...brief keep the vibrations inside. ...Flapping doors, ringing bells, supercharged and overcharged low frequencies are more for head bangers on a Saturday afternoon with coolers filled of beer cans and looking for bone body/brain crushing/washing physical destructive thrills with ears flapping too and extending/expanding in all face directions, almost touching the nose.
From the video I'm glad I'm not in that room watching a serious movie like The Incredible Hulk (2008), including the two sonic wave cannons (video clip I included previously: http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...ff-sub-woofers&p=418332&viewfull=1#post418332 ).
______

For fun (bonus):

 
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LL21

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Certainly let me know if I can give any further input. Audioguy here can attest first hand to how clean the F18s are and their capability into the very lowest frequencies. How large is your listening room and is it closed off? Feel free to move/create a separate thread if more appropriate.
Hi Mark,

Here is the chart...and then we can go back to PM. I have since applied the cutoff above 40hz rather than 43hz...definitely better. Cleaner, tighter. The subsonic filter below 15hz is on because (for some reason), i find the room 'roars' if i dont have it on, like there is too much sub 15hz information?

Velodyne DD18+ Measurements July 29 2016.jpg
 

YashN

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Rotary sub, goes down to 3-5Hz.
 

16hz lover

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Rotary sub, goes down to 3-5Hz.

The TRW-17's specified frequency range is 1 to 30Hz (±4dB) with a maximum acoustic output greater than 115dB SPL from 1 to 20Hz. As a result, a conventional sub is required to fill in from there to the point at which the main speakers take over, which is typically 80Hz or so.
Read more at http://www.soundandvision.com/content/eminent-technology-trw-17-rotary-subwoofer#9Uk5EcQZ2w2REhEZ.99

Requires a room or very large box as an enclosure, and is limited to 115db, 13K dollars. Cool design though.
 

Sharp 1080

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The TRW-17's specified frequency range is 1 to 30Hz (±4dB) with a maximum acoustic output greater than 115dB SPL from 1 to 20Hz. As a result, a conventional sub is required to fill in from there to the point at which the main speakers take over, which is typically 80Hz or so.
Read more at http://www.soundandvision.com/content/eminent-technology-trw-17-rotary-subwoofer#9Uk5EcQZ2w2REhEZ.99

Requires a room or very large box as an enclosure, and is limited to 115db, 13K dollars. Cool design though.

There was a build thread detailing the subwoofer in the video. One way to go if you are building a dedicated room. I cannot remember which forum it was on. I would love to build a dedicated room with Seaton subs to replace my JL Audio F113's.
 

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