5 of the Best Home Theater Subwoofer Movie Moments
April 21, 2016There’s no feeling quite like the deep impactful reverberations of an explosion, fight scene or other sonically charged action movie moment, punctuated by a truly great subwoofer. The low frequency output produced by the world’s best home theater subwoofers can literally throttle your chest, shake your pant legs and make you jump from your seat as the sound waves assault your senses in the best way possible.
Some of the most fun we have at SVS are the times when we gather to debate things like the Best Movie Subwoofer Moments. This is not a complete or definitive list by any means, but it is a great starting point if you’re looking for a punishing subwoofer workout.
Do you have a better one? Drop your recommendation it in the comments.
1. Tron: Legacy - Chapter 8, Lightcycle Battle
From the moment the tympani bassline starts pumping and the crowd erupts, this scene pulses with intense electronic and motorized low frequency effects that you feel in your core. The combination of musical bass in the movie’s score and the intense lightcycle battle sound effects go on for several minutes making this a top pick.
2. U-571 - Chapter 15, Depth-Charged
This famous attack scene features a barrage of depth charges exploding as they descend down upon a submarine and the resulting LFEs reach well below 25Hz, stretching the limits of human hearing and subwoofer performance. The sensation is not so much hearing bass as it is feeling pressure from the air being energized, almost as if the room itself is breathing.
3. Super 8 - Chapter 3, Model Painting
The train crash scene in this J.J. Abrams throwback is one of the most aggressive and powerful audio experiences you can put a subwoofer through. There’s a barrage of dynamic surround effects as shards of metal crash all around you and the forceful, room-rumbling bass accompanying each impact and explosion is enough to make you curl up in the fetal position.
4. Hellboy 2: Golden Army - Chapter 11, A Forest God
A classic comic book story, this action flick has some great comedic value to support the big-time dynamics. In this scene, Hellboy battles a towering plant-like creature called “The Elemental” which bursts out of the ground with a sudden jolt of low-end energy and proceeds to stomp, crush and fling cars around before ultimately being subdued by the heroine. From tinkling glass to panicked voices, there’s a ton of great audio content for your subwoofer and entire system.
5. Edge of Tomorrow - Opening Chapter (Unnamed)
The low frequency sweeps in the first 25-30 seconds of this movie are as intense (and dangerous) as it gets in terms of low frequency playback. In fact, there have been several forum threads warning subwoofer users to watch their dB levels, lest they blow out a driver trying to play the intro at reference levels. SVS subwoofers can certainly take the abuse, but many people say the bass in this scene was mixed “Hot”, so it’s a good idea to have the remote handy if you have sensitive hearing.
No single AV component impacts an audio system’s overall performance as much as a subwoofer, especially when it comes to action movies. If you have suggestions for a great movie subwoofer moment, please share it below.
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