Movies you use as a test bed / to show off
frdranger
Posts: 110
Hey folks! Just starting a fun thread, what movies do you use to show-off to others and/or use as a test bed when configuring and tweaking your system?
For me, it has to be Transformers 1 blu-ray - the highway scene near the end when Devestator transforms on the freeway. Incredible sound field with pings, pongs, bangs all around as he transforms. Also the scene where Ironhide fires his rockets into the ground to jump over that girl screaming in slow-mo. Incredible bass depth with that scene.
Second movie I use is War of the Worlds blu-ray; the scene where the alien tripods rise from the ground at first in the city.
Lastly - Lord of the Rings: Return of the King blu-ray. The scene towards the end when you have the large battle-elephants making their entrance on to the battlefield. Just an incredible amount of craziness, bass and puts good work of your fronts.
How about you?
For me, it has to be Transformers 1 blu-ray - the highway scene near the end when Devestator transforms on the freeway. Incredible sound field with pings, pongs, bangs all around as he transforms. Also the scene where Ironhide fires his rockets into the ground to jump over that girl screaming in slow-mo. Incredible bass depth with that scene.
Second movie I use is War of the Worlds blu-ray; the scene where the alien tripods rise from the ground at first in the city.
Lastly - Lord of the Rings: Return of the King blu-ray. The scene towards the end when you have the large battle-elephants making their entrance on to the battlefield. Just an incredible amount of craziness, bass and puts good work of your fronts.
How about you?
My Living Room 3.1 config:
Toshiba 40RV525U
Receiver: Onkyo TX-NR609
Center channel: Polk CS1
Front L/R: Paradigm Reference Studio 20
Subwoofer: Velodyne DPS-10
Rears: None
My Computer setup
Klipsch Pro Media 2.1 THX
Toshiba 40RV525U
Receiver: Onkyo TX-NR609
Center channel: Polk CS1
Front L/R: Paradigm Reference Studio 20
Subwoofer: Velodyne DPS-10
Rears: None
My Computer setup
Klipsch Pro Media 2.1 THX
Post edited by frdranger on
Comments
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War of the worlds is a system workout! It really brings out the weaknesses of a system, IMO. I also like to use Flight of the Phoenix, not the best movie ever, but the crash scene is freakin' amazing. It's usually a fairly cheep BD to pick up.
Also give a vote to Transformers 3, great surround mixing. -
5th Element!
Also the truck crash/armored car explosion in HEATToo much **** to list.... -
Open Range-the shootout in the end will have you crawling under the sofa.Main Rig-Realistic AM/FM Record player 8 track boasting 4 WPC
Backup Rig-2 CH-Rogue Audio Zeus w/Factory Special Dark Mods,Joule-Electra 300ME Platinum Preamp,OPPO-105 w/Modwright Tube Mod, Auralic Aries G2.1,Polk 2.3TL,3.1TL's,Dreadnought,RTA-15TL's,1C's All Fully Modded,2xRTA-12c's ,Benchmark DAC3 HGC,Synology NAS,VPI Scout w/Dynavector DV-20XH and Rogue Audio Ares Phono Preamp,Sony PCM-R500 DAT,HHB-850 Pro CDR,Tascam CC-222SLMKII Cassette/CDR,MIT S3.3 Shotgun Cables,Shunyata Hyra-8,Shunyata and Triode Labs Power Cords
I’M OFFENDED!!!! -
Independance Day. Also the surround mix on Kung Fu Panda, i kid you not.
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Master and Commander- the battle scene with the cannons--Gary--
Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out. -
That train wreck in Super 8 will just about bring down the house and wake up the neighborhood if you've got it cranked up.
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Watchmen !!! You could try Akira as its 192khz all the way and most systems wont handle it unless you disable your room EQ functions
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Why is it that loud noise is considered a sign of a good system? Any fool can make noise and have a system that makes noise.
Master and Commander was mentioned above. I would say the opening scene below deck where the creaks and groans of a wooden boat at sea are a better example. I was getting seasick the first time it played, and that was with the lossy DVD audio.Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes
Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables
Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
Three 20 amp circuits. -
LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring - Balrog scene
The Incredibles is also very good2.1: PC>Schiit Gungnir MB>Schiit Freya Noval>NAD C-270>Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1, HSU STF-2 5.1: HDMI Bitstream>Denon AVR-1910>polkaudio RTE55, CS350-LS, RT3, HSU STF-2, Visio M55-F0 -
Mr. and Mrs. Smith on DTS-HD Master. Good soundtrack and lots of different guns going off.
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Oh yeah, How to Train Your Dragon, awesome LFE.
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1st seen in Eagle Eye and Saving private Ryan towards the end win the tanks roll in2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC
erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a -
super 8 was good. I have yet to watch lord of rings BR but heard its great low range.
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Why is it that loud noise is considered a sign of a good system? Any fool can make noise and have a system that makes noise.
Master and Commander was mentioned above. I would say the opening scene below deck where the creaks and groans of a wooden boat at sea are a better example. I was getting seasick the first time it played, and that was with the lossy DVD audio.
I have to agree with this as cannon explosions and car crashes are cool they do not really show off your system.
I think other noises such as described above are better as it's more detailed than just low booms. A HTIB can make booms but the timbre of noises reproduced well can be a lot more challenging for a system to do well.
Transformers is a loud movie but I would not use it for a "show off" piece. -
Master and Commander- the battle scene with the cannons
+++1, for surround sound it is the best, especially when the crew is running around the deck from the ladder looking up. It really makes you feel you are immersed in the scene.
I rewarded myself with that movie two nights ago after getting my setup in order.
Fanfreakintastic, and the effects are downright spooky sometimes. I kept thinking people were in my house.Polk Audio SDA CRS+ crossover 4.1TL by Trey/VR3 (Rings and custom stand by Larry)-Polk Audio SDA SRS2 crossovers by Trey/VR3Parasound HCA1500aYamaha rxa-3070 with musicast-Celestion SL6S presence,- sl9 surround backNHTsuper1's surroundMagnepan SMGParasound 1500pre- Sofia "Baby" tube amp - Monitor Audio Silver RX2 Marantz 2230/B&Kst140Technics 1200mk2 Gamertag: IslandBerserker I am but a infinitesimally small point meeting the line of infinity in the SDA universe -
The Incredibles is also very good
Agree. Great audio and video workout. Nothing like fast-paced animation to really make the artifacts stand out. Great movie, too.
RT-12, CS350-LS, PSW-300, Infinity Overture 1, Monoprice RC-65i
Adcom GFA-545II, GFA-6000, Outlaw Audio 990, Netgear NeoTV
Denon DCM-460, DMD-1000, Sony BDP-360, Bravia KDL-40Z4100/S
Monster AVL-300, HTS-2500 MKII -
The Animusic DVDs are a lot of fun too. Not movies, but pretty cool if you've never seen or heard them.Husband, Father, Son, Brother, Friend.
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2012 - The big quake scene when they're in the limo drive throught the city to the airport, and once they get in the plane.
Terminator Salvation - any action scene in that movie
Another less seen movie is Flyboys. Great sound mixing. During the arial dog fights scenes, it sounds like the planes and bullets are flying past ya!!!Parasound HCA-2003A & 2205A
Front: Rti12's
Center: Csi A6
Side surrounds: Polk Rti A1's
Atmos: Mirage Nanosats
APC H15
Power cords by Pepster, Morrow MA4 IC's, AQ Midnight, AQ Chocolate HDMI's[/SIZE]
The rest is TBD. -
Iron Man and Terminator Salvation. They both rattle my windows and never cease to amaze me!
System 1:Nakamichi PA-7Kenwood Basic C2Polk SDA 1C moddedSystem 2:Dynaco ST-70Polk Monitor 5B modded -
If you've got a capable sub, U571 is awesome with the depth charges....
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I recently watched Wall E for the first time, and besides being a great movie, it had some great sound effects.
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A few that come to mind,
Pearl Harbor - ducking under flying bullets
King Kong - dinosaurs and apes, freakin awesome
Finding nemo - fell off the couch when Darla tapped the aquarium
I Robot - scene in the tunnel where Will Smith is attacked by swarms of robots -
All very, very good choices!
Another one I usually like to use is Unstoppable.My Living Room 3.1 config:
Toshiba 40RV525U
Receiver: Onkyo TX-NR609
Center channel: Polk CS1
Front L/R: Paradigm Reference Studio 20
Subwoofer: Velodyne DPS-10
Rears: None
My Computer setup
Klipsch Pro Media 2.1 THX -
Dark KnightPolk Audio SDA 2.3tl Fully Hot Rodded. 😎
SVS SB16 X2
Cary SLP-05/Ultimate Upgrade.
Cary SA-500.1 ES Amps
Cary DMS 800PV Network
OPPO UDP 205/ModWright Modification
VPI Scout TT / Dynavector 20x2
Jolida JD9 Fully Modified
VPI MW-1 Cyclone RCM
MIT Shotgun 3 cables throughout / Except TT, and PC’s -
+1 on U-571! The creaking of that old German sub diving down! And yes the depth charges! Awesome!"Everything I ever did in my life worthwhile I caught hell for"
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The train wreck sequence in Super 8. Ungodly bass, near-perfect surround sound, and detail to spare. One of the most impressive audio mixes I've heard in some time, and not just for the sheer volume of it.
Also, if you have 7.1 surround, Transformers: Dark Of The Moon is a showpiece not just for the loud bombast but for how impressive the between-channel pans and placement of sounds across the surround are.Equipment list:
Onkyo TX-NR3010 9.2 AVR
Emotiva XPA-3 amp
Polk RTi70 mains, CSi40 center, RTi38 surrounds, RTi28 rears and heights
SVS 20-39CS+ subwoofer powered by Crown XLS1500
Oppo BDP-93 Blu-ray player
DarbeeVision DVP5000 video processor
Epson 8500UB 1080p projector
Elite Screens Sable 120" CineWhite screen -
kuntasensei wrote: »The train wreck sequence in Super 8. Ungodly bass, near-perfect surround sound, and detail to spare. One of the most impressive audio mixes I've heard in some time, and not just for the sheer volume of it.
Also, if you have 7.1 surround, Transformers: Dark Of The Moon is a showpiece not just for the loud bombast but for how impressive the between-channel pans and placement of sounds across the surround are.
Any particular scene in Transformers DOFTM which would best demonstrate this? Thanks! My Living Room 3.1 config:
Toshiba 40RV525U
Receiver: Onkyo TX-NR609
Center channel: Polk CS1
Front L/R: Paradigm Reference Studio 20
Subwoofer: Velodyne DPS-10
Rears: None
My Computer setup
Klipsch Pro Media 2.1 THX -
James Bond - Quantum of Solace. Not the deepest bass, but it shows off a wide range of sounds. Great glass shattering, crystal clear highs; punchy mid/low bass (gun shots that you can feel in your chest); good semi-deep bass (cars smashing), and it's just an overall great action scene. I think it really shows off your dynamics. Plus, it's the intro, so it's easy to find on the disk! Turn this one up to 11.
And another +1 on U-571. That depth charge scene prompted me to get into separates in my system. **BOOM, BOOM** receiver overload! :redface: That doesn't happen now though. Separates rock! -
audio_alan wrote: »James Bond - Quantum of Solace. Not the deepest bass, but it shows off a wide range of sounds. Great glass shattering, crystal clear highs; punchy mid/low bass (gun shots that you can feel in your chest); good semi-deep bass (cars smashing), and it's just an overall great action scene. I think it really shows off your dynamics. Plus, it's the intro, so it's easy to find on the disk! Turn this one up to 11.
And another +1 on U-571. That depth charge scene prompted me to get into separates in my system. **BOOM, BOOM** receiver overload! :redface: That doesn't happen now though. Separates rock!
Agreed except for 1 thing... I don't run separates but my SVS will hit you like there's no tomorrow
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ken brydson wrote: »Agreed except for 1 thing... I don't run separates but my SVS will hit you like there's no tomorrow
Ken - It actually wasn't the subs that caused the problem (since the powered subs do the amplification). If I recall right, the depth charges blast through multiple channels (and I was running 7.2). Having tough speakers to drive, my receiver couldn't handle it. After installing an Adcom 555 II just to power the fronts (Polk 2.3's), my Pioneer Elite SC-27 (which is no slouch, imo) was able to handle the rest of the load.
But yeah, that scene is brutal for a receiver at reference level. It's like making a car go from 0 to 60, back to 0, then back to 60... multiple times, every few seconds.
