I recently upgraded my home TV sound system, replacing every part – though it was a like-for-like upgrade. I switched from a Sonos Arc, Sub Mini and Sonos One rear speakers to a new system of Sonos Arc Ultra, Sub 4 and Era 100 rear speakers. So, the same kind of setup, but with bigger and beefier sound in every part.
(Don't come at me, home theater purists – if I had the space for a separates system, I'd have one. We do what we can.)
I wrote our Sonos Arc Ultra review, and I was seriously impressed with its new sound balance, especially its ability to add more meat to the mid-range while improving dialogue clarity – I added it to our list of the best soundbars.
In the past, I didn't have a bigger sub because I thought it might be too much in my terraced house and likely to disturb the neighbors. I still think that, I've just decided to go for it anyway.
So I ended up with a system with way more low-end power, better positioning effects, and more meat through the mids. Naturally, I wanted to see what it could do, but I didn't reach for my list of 10 Dolby Atmos movies to show off your system because I'd already used a lot of them when originally testing the soundbar.
And critical listening wasn't the goal, so I just got some great movies I simply wanted to watch, and I knew would be elevated by an improvement in the sound system.
1. Titanic
This was always going to be first on the list, because I picked up the newest 4K Blu-ray release a while ago but hadn't gotten around to watching it yet. While I wish I could go back to being 12 years old and unable to notice the awkward CGI passengers in some of the swooping aerial shots, none of that matters to the soundtrack.
Having extra dynamic punch really adds to the impact in the final hour of the movie, where the sudden cracking of the ship and the collapse of the glass dome hit hard, fast, and sharp.
The positional skill of my new system helps to create dread from the range of creaks and groans within the ship, and better low-mid power from the Era 100 rear speakers add extra depth to the surround effects.
2. Hereditary
What better way is there to build an oppressive atmosphere than the judicious application of deep, droning, ominous bass? It's one thing to be able to hear the soundtrack of this movie, but really, you're supposed to feel it eating away at your diaphragm, pulling you into the limbo of anxiety that the characters are living in.
The soundtrack is full of other elements that benefit from the broader upgrades to the system, including the extra step of dynamism for sudden scary moments. But this one is all about the sub-bass and is a great demo of what adding or upgrading a sub does for your home theater power.
3. Ferrari
When I saw this movie in the theater, my first thought was, "Oh no, I'm going to need a better sub to do this justice at home". Becoming enveloped by – and mildly afraid of – the guttural, methodical roar of the engines is a huge part of the atmosphere.
However, I had it wrong. The sub actually isn't doing much work; the sound is far more mid-range than I originally clocked, it's just such a powerful sound that it hits you physically like you'd expect from a sub.
In the end, this movie shows the limitations of the new system. A soundbar is still a soundbar – it has small drivers cleverly arranged. What this movie needs is full-size speakers capable of moving a lot of air.
4. Inception
Fun fact: the only movie-related noise complaint I've received from a neighbor was when I was in an apartment watching Inception, and it came from downstairs. The subwoofer I was using at the time wasn't force-opposed, like the Sonos Sub range is, and I was just pumping a lot of energy right into the floor.
This isn't Dolby Atmos, but it'll make full use of the sound range of an improved system, and, with the new Sub, you know exactly which bit of the score I'm talking about. But the whole thing sounds fantastic on the new setup. I generally say Interstellar is the best Christopher Nolan soundtrack, but whenever I listen to Inception, I think, "Wait, no, this is the best one".
There's so much energy to the Mombasa chase, and when the score has built up to the final crescendo riding the kicks. Absolute cinema, as the kids say.
5. Blow Out
Okay, we're going even further from Dolby Atmos immersion here. Blow Out is only available in DTS stereo but I'm on board with the idea that the audio doesn't need screwing around with in some new remaster. The sound design is literally the whole point of the movie; it's tuned to perfection, and all I need is to have it delivered with clarity, precision and the full dynamic range.
I love all the old-school audiovisual production process stuff in this movie, and hearing all the clicks and whirs and celluloid slicing with emphasis is essential to that. Everything is supposed to be heightened and lurid, like the plot and Brian de Palma's visuals, and I had a great time with it on the new soundbar.
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