| Cinema Cynergy January 2004
More DVDs to Showcase and Evaluate Your System
It’s not hard these days to find
DVDs with soundtracks that will wow you and your friends with whiz-bang sound effects and
loud explosions. However, soundtracks of true reference quality, that combine sound
effects, music, and other elements in just the right proportions, are still relatively
rare. When executed properly, such movies can transport you to another place and time, and
make your walls seem to disappear by providing a continuum of sound that is not confined
to your speakers, but that seems to extend beyond the confines of your room.
This month I describe some of my favorite DVDs, picked
because they’re ideal for assessing systems or listening to for pure enjoyment when I
want to kick back and relax with a good movie. Most of my picks have DTS-encoded
soundtracks; a few are in Dolby Digital only.
Blade II (which I have previously
recommended) is still my reference soundtrack for creativity, and for immersing the
listener in a fantastic aural landscape, but Daredevil comes close to matching it.
Just listen to the opening credits -- the music fills the entire front soundstage, then
extends tastefully and effectively into the surround channels. You’ll hear sound
effects pan smoothly from front to back and across the rear of your room. The
barroom-brawl scene is an all-out assault on the senses, but it’s punctuated with
very specific, isolated Foley effects such as a ceiling fan, heavy breathing, and shell
casings being ejected from an automatic weapon. This scene showcases truly innovative and
involving effects.
 Daredevil’s music always
exhibits exceptional fidelity, and ranges from the punchy hip-hop themes that accompany
the Kingpin and Bullseye characters, to sweet, ethereal vocals at the funeral of
Elektra’s father. When combined with the immersive use of the surround channels -- as
when deep, rumbling thunder and rainfall envelop the listener from all angles -- the
result is a totally involving audio experience.
X2: X-Men United is another DVD with
reference-quality sound. It may not be as immersive and enveloping as Daredevil,
but it counters with a thrillingly dynamic presentation. Right from the opening scenes,
you know you’re in for a thrill ride. You’ll experience aggressive split
surround effects throughout; action sequences such as the attack on the Oval Office and
the jet chase are exceptionally good. Although this can at times be a loud and jarring
soundtrack, it’s well-balanced, everything remaining composed even at high levels --
it might startle you, but it won’t become irritating. The scenes inside Cerebro are
astounding in how successfully a holographic, 360-degree soundstage is re-created.
There’s a great sense of depth as voices echo off the chamber walls and sound effects
engulf you as they swirl all around the room.
Minority Report is more subtle in its execution than
most movie soundtracks, but is no less involving when played back on a high-quality
system. For example, the orchestral score that accompanies the scene in the control room
at the Ministry of Precrime, as Anderton reviews the evidence in Case 1109, provides an
understated grace to the surreal ballet as he deftly manipulates images on multiple video
screens. There are some very cool sound effects -- buzzing lasers, and a stun gun that you
can almost feel hitting you in the chest during the chase through the automobile assembly
plant. As Anderton enters the subway system, the sounds of interactive advertisements
float all around him as he passes through the corridors. The sound of Minority Report
can be a little hyper-real and exaggerated, but it perfectly complements the stark,
sometimes austere cinematography.
An incredible example of how a pop song should be recorded
in multichannel audio is Madonna’s "Die Another Day," from the James Bond
film of the same title. Her robotic, synthesizer-tinged vocals image precisely between the
front speakers, while the soundstage is wide and deep, the bass tight and controlled. The
final car chase -- Bond in his Aston Martin, the bad guy in his Jaguar -- is about as
realistic as it gets. Die Another Day has high-revving car engines and enough
machine-gun fire and explosions to satisfy the most serious action fan.
 The atmospheric soundtrack of Lara
Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life features a reference-quality music score. The
music and effects blend seamlessly in the opening titles, the pounding surf and majestic
music setting the tone for the scene. The orchestral music mirrors the sweeping
cinematography, while later, in chapter 16, a more modern techno beat takes full advantage
of the 5.1-channel format to heighten the action and suspense. There is plenty of deep
bass throughout the film that will challenge your system’s capabilities: The scene in
the Luna Temple, for example, not only has low frequencies that will not only rattle your
walls, but also a fantastic mix that will place you deep within this eerily dark setting
Finally, Finding Nemo has a delightful soundtrack
that is a great complement to the colorful, light-hearted animation. There’s not a
lot of ambience in the surround channels, but the occasional aggressive surround effects
are always fun. Dialogue is clearly recorded, which is essential to appreciating the
excellent voice-over performances of Ellen DeGeneres and Albert Brooks. To test the bass
capabilities of your system, go to chapter 25 -- you’ll finally understand why pet
stores ask that you not tap on the glass walls of aquariums.
Each of these discs has two things in common: a carefully
crafted sound design that create a heightened sense of realism, and excellent overall
fidelity. It is this type of soundtrack that allows you to truly appreciate the sound
quality of your system.
...Roger Kanno
roger@hometheatersound.com |
