I have a sub at home that I wanted to test out. Any recommendations on DVD's and scenes from these DVD's that I should use to evaluate.

I guess I would also like to know what sound/effect etc. I should expect from these scenes.

i.e. in Saving Private Ryan opening battle scene, should i feel my couch shake?

Thanks

U-571

yup

I third that.

if you're looking for "test" discs to help set up your sub, you're much better off using something like the Stereophile test discs 2 or 3, or avia w/ a sound pressure meter. if you're looking for discs w/ some low frequency content to demo your system, there's lots to choose from: T2, Contact, Twister, SPR, and the like. on the music side, just about anything by virgal fox.

Eventhough the movie isnt that good, the Haunting DTS disc features some earthshaking bass.

Ditto for Godzilla (Devlin/Emmerich).

I'll second Haunting DTS and U-571. Another older, but effective movie is Air Force One.

Depends on the size of the room, size and type of sub, and subwoofer placement (VERY important). Placing the sub in a corner, with a different distance from each of the two walls, will yield a 9dB+- increase in the sound.

BTW, Haunting DTS knocked a bottle of cologne out of the bathroom medicine cabinet down the hall

Toy story 2 . Especially the part when the pipe goes rolling down the street..

Titan A.E. - the Ice Nebula chapter. My favorite bass demo scene.

There is NO way to guarantee that kind of increase in db's without knowing the layout of the room, size, sub type, etc, etc. YES room gain will give you an increase in db's at certain frequencies, but can also cause a drop in others. The only way to get an exact number is to do tests in 5hz (or thereabouts) increments with an SPL meter or/and with an RTA.

As for good demo discs, the above mentioned titles are great, but use caution when listening at high levels to certain discs, especially The Haunting dts. This disc has some of the most intense, low frequency bass for sustained periods of time I have ever heard. Some subs simply cannot handle this much intense bass, and actually many commercial subs have limiters that prevent them from playing at frequencies that they cannot handle to prevent overload and distortion. Also, be aware that a sub-sat configuration will not do justice to many of these discs. Find someone (or a good in-store demo) with a good full-range speaker set-up with some high quality hardware, and you'll be floored by what you hear.

[Edited by DVD_O_Rama on 03-23-01 at 05:46 PM]

titan ae...

A corner position will provide the highest output/lowest harmonic distortion and smoothest frequency response possible in most listening rooms. A reflective surface provides approximately 3dB of gain, therefore, the floor and two walls combined give 9dB+- of gain. Floor coverings, wall types, room size, sub type,etc. will affect that, hence the +-. Sure, certain frequencies will be accentuated more than others, but this is a function of room nodes as much as anything else.

An easy way to determine optimum sub location for your room is to actually put the subwoofer in your listening position, play a DVD or music with good bass (any of the examples in this thread are great) and crawl around on the floor, listening as you go. Wherever the sound is the most to your liking, put the sub there and evaluate the sound from your listening position.

DVD_O_Rama is right, an SPL meter, an RTA, and an EQ like a Behringer Feedback Destroyer can absolutely dial the sound in and give you the flattest response curve your room will allow.

[Edited by Lazlo on 03-24-01 at 02:46 PM]

The beastie boys crterion collection dvd,

5.1 presentation of intergalactic rocks!

D

The Lion King

As previously noted, there are lotsa of good bass demo DVD's including:

The Haunting DTS - creaking pipes
Titan AE - ice fields
Toy Story 2 - road crossing
Lost in Space - intro
Godzilla 1998 - fire at will
The Matrix - lobby and helicopter
Super Speedway IMAX - racing around the track

Dave

Thanks everyone for the help.

I was busy all weekend, so didn't get a chance to test out the sub I have at home. It is a D-box David 301, cheap 12" sub but seems to have a lot of power. If I don't like it I can return it and can get a Sony SA-WM40 (which was not available until this week for me)

I wanted to test with music and HT to see what kind of performance I could get. So far it seems overpowering and boomy on music and while I definitely can hear and feel the effect of the sub on HT, it is more of a rumbling than a recognizable sound. i.e. in Mission Impossible train chase scene, the helicopter noise is quite strong, but I wouldn't say I feel it. Also it doesn't actually sound like a helicopter more like a loud rumble.