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The best surround mix (5.1, 7.1 or anything surround) you've ever heard.

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I just patched in my surrounds and have been testing out my new 5.1 configuration.

Anybody have a good recommendation of a DVD or LD with a good surround mix?

Also, what's the best surround track you've ever heard, home or theater?

VADER!? WHERE THE HELL IS MY MOCHA LATTE? -Palpy on a very bad day.
“George didn’t think there was any future in dead Han toys.”-Harrison Ford
YT channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader

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 (Edited)

I'm not sure what's the best I've ever heard, but there are some really good ones out there.  If you've just completed a 5.1 setup, you can say goodbye to forced dynamic range compression forever.  It makes quite a difference, I can tell you!

Inception sounds pretty danged awesome.  Huge dynamic range, powerful bass response, and excellent surround usage.  The score is important to the film and is allowed to achieve prominence when it needs to.

Some of the Pixar movies have quite impressive mixes.  The Incredibles in particular stands out to me because its surround panning is some of the best I've encountered.  I have only have standard 5.1, but I imagine that with the EX rear channel it would sound even better.

Out of all the Bond films, I think GoldenEye has the most satisfying mix on an artistic level.  True, they did use a lot of sound effects from older recording libraries, so it can be a bit low-fi at times, and its LFE is kind of boomy and one-note, but I love the way it sounds anyway.  It's just so well put together—the surrounds integrate very well, dynamics are impressive, and you've gotta love the way the bass just dominates and gets in your face in some places.  I highly recommend watching a version that pre-dates the Ultimate Editions, because even though the remixed track cleans up some distortion, its bass response is so much lower than the original most of the time that it can't compare.

Casino Royale is very good also, although in a completely different sort of way.  It sounds a lot more "modern" somehow, but is an example of a newer sound done right.

I just watched X-Men 2 yesterday, and found myself quite drawn in by that.  Not much bass most of the time, but it didn't feel like it was missing anything, and the surround usage more than makes up for it, anyway.  I really like the sounds they used for the various mutant powers, and the score is terrific.

Terminator 2 is another good one.  The sound of Arnold's shotgun is the thing I remember most clearly, but this is just a well done mix in general.

I recall the most recent Narnia film, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, having quite a good mix also.  It was surprising just how immersive it actually was, although I don't recall many specific details off the top of my head.

 

Editing to add: Can't believe I forget this, but Master and Commander has to be the most utterly realistic recording that's ever been made.  All the little sounds are put together so well that you can really believe you're actually on the sailing ship with the characters, and that's something very few mixes are able to achieve.  In addition, the cannon fire is so powerful it's almost as if you're really being shot at in the midst of all the chaos.  A very large and powerful subwoofer is needed to truly represent all the super-deep bass present here.    

 

 

By the way, I heard a rumour that the original version of Star Wars had some really great mono surround stuff going on . . .  ;)

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"Apocalypse Now"

 

I set up my Laserdisk's AC-3 channel to my home theater system last week, and that film's mix blew me away.  

“First feel fear, then get angry. Then go with your life into the fight.” - Bill Mollison

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hairy_hen said:

...

Some of the Pixar movies have quite impressive mixes. ...

I'd agree with this. I remember Toy Story 2's mix being pretty impressive in the cinema.

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I have to admit, I'm getting to where I prefer the PCM Dolby Surround downmixes on LD rather than the 5.1 lossy DVD.

HH, I think you're right on Goldeneye being the most artistic surround mix of the Bonds. I think Tomorrow Never Dies is the best actual mix (and boy does that get loud!!!) but Goldeneye is more playful. (something to do with the score maybe?) I do need to get another version because every time I pop in the UE even in stereo it doesn't have the low end I'm used to. Even the DTS track.

Certainly Apocalypse. FF, if you have the original 93 Letterbox LD try the PCM stereo track. It's as close as we're ever going to get to the original theatrical 4.1 surround, and the dynamic range is unbelievable! Walter Murch put the whole soundtrack through Dolby ProLogic processing to get on the LD and there was no other processing done. I have the 5.1 LD as well, and that PCM doesn't sound as immersive.

Good suggestions on Pixar films. They always do have a good sound mix don't they? Toy Story 3 was the first theatrical Dolby 7.1 release. (If you could find an equipped theater that is.)

I'm still watching everything in SD, and my receiver is about 10 years old so no Dolby EX and other goodies. I think the best sounding thing I own besides LD PCM is my DTS LD of The Shadow. I keep returning to it, because it just sounded so clean and balanced. It hearkens back to my childhood when theaters were in the midst of the DTS/Dolby codec war. Back then the mixers were always trying to top the other company and some serious $$ was spent on sound systems. Now it doesn't matter. What happened to being able to go to a preferred location to get a THX certified theater showing a movie in DTS and then get that loud DTS logo?

VADER!? WHERE THE HELL IS MY MOCHA LATTE? -Palpy on a very bad day.
“George didn’t think there was any future in dead Han toys.”-Harrison Ford
YT channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader

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I have the Superman: The Movie Widescreen laserdisc on now. 

I must say this original surround mix is awesome, and I like it much more then the upgraded mix on the DVDs.  Seems that I am back in one of my Laserdisc watching / appreciation  modes too.

 

“First feel fear, then get angry. Then go with your life into the fight.” - Bill Mollison

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Ditto on Superman. The 5.1 just doesn't feel quite right. Added to my ever growing lddb wish list.

Going back from LD to DVD takes some adjustment. I just finished the UE of Octopussy and the original Dolby Surround included is very hissy and lacks that low end punch.

VADER!? WHERE THE HELL IS MY MOCHA LATTE? -Palpy on a very bad day.
“George didn’t think there was any future in dead Han toys.”-Harrison Ford
YT channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader

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Don't have a Blu-ray player, PlayStation 3 or Blu-ray drive?

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I think few posters on this site unintentionally make me laugh as much as FremenDar :D

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 (Edited)

"Thunderball" AC-3 Digital Surround

"Goldeneye" AC-3 Digital Surround 

“First feel fear, then get angry. Then go with your life into the fight.” - Bill Mollison

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FremenDar said:


Don't have a Blu-ray player, PlayStation 3 or Blu-ray drive?

darth_ender said:


I think few posters on this site unintentionally make me laugh as much as FremenDar :D
It sounds like he's going to link to sites that sell them. Worst spambot every, Fremen! ;-)

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doubleofive said:

 

FremenDar said:


Don't have a Blu-ray player, PlayStation 3 or Blu-ray drive?

darth_ender said:


I think few posters on this site unintentionally make me laugh as much as FremenDar :D
It sounds like he's going to link to sites that sell them. Worst spambot every, Fremen! ;-)

 

I was going to spam some affiliate links for Hong Kong and Japanese DVDs and Blu-rays for some great films with stellar surround tracks. does it use html coding or the bracket one?

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Captainsolo, can you confirm that there is a noticeable audio distortion in the rear right surround channel on the Thunderball THX anniversary box set during the gun-firing effect at the gun barrel intro? There is on mine, and I am not sure if it is just my audio receiver set up, LD player, or it is just over modulated the the point of distortion. I don't have any distortions on the THX AC-3 Digital two disk set from 1998.

Thanks!  

“First feel fear, then get angry. Then go with your life into the fight.” - Bill Mollison

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The Tree of Life on Blu-Ray is the best I've ever heard. You've got a world tour of great symphonic pieces and orchestras, and well-crafted ambient soundscapes that will work out your rear speakers and subs. There's even a note before the movie starts that says, "For optimal sound reproduction, the producers of this Blu-Ray recommend you play it loud."

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The TB set does indeed have a dropout on the right rear surround channel. It does not have this when played back in regular stereo. The rear right goes silent for a second and then comes back in.

You don't by any chance have other audio issues with this set do you? The end of every side goes bad on the sound for me.

VADER!? WHERE THE HELL IS MY MOCHA LATTE? -Palpy on a very bad day.
“George didn’t think there was any future in dead Han toys.”-Harrison Ford
YT channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader

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Time

hairy_hen said:

Out of all the Bond films, I think GoldenEye has the most satisfying mix on an artistic level.  True, they did use a lot of sound effects from older recording libraries, so it can be a bit low-fi at times, and its LFE is kind of boomy and one-note, but I love the way it sounds anyway.  It's just so well put together—the surrounds integrate very well, dynamics are impressive, and you've gotta love the way the bass just dominates and gets in your face in some places.  I highly recommend watching a version that pre-dates the Ultimate Editions, because even though the remixed track cleans up some distortion, its bass response is so much lower than the original most of the time that it can't compare.

I just watched my new THX LD and listened to the Dolby Surround PCM.

Holy crap. My subwoofer has never gotten that much of a good workout. The Surround was so well done that I thought I was listening to 5.1. Deep, balanced, warm, and I just wanted it to go on forever.

The UE DTS can never compare to this.

VADER!? WHERE THE HELL IS MY MOCHA LATTE? -Palpy on a very bad day.
“George didn’t think there was any future in dead Han toys.”-Harrison Ford
YT channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/DamnFoolIdealisticCrusader