Star Wars: Episode III

[anamorphic96]

Thanx for the info, but my trip has been planned and I'll probably catch the movie at the Mann Village in Westwood, which is probably my favorite theater because of its projection quality, huge auditorium (1,400 capacity), and standout sound system (the subwoofers alone sit inside of a massive enclosure that required ripping out the front three seating rows to install). The Metro is a nice theater, but it's definitely smaller than the Coronet, although if the sound system is identical to the one inside the Coronet, then it might make for a better sound experience. I always thought that the sound system at the Coronet was pushed beyond its comfort zone, but it had the huge screen and the buzz with a full house.

The biggest problem the Coronet had was acoustics. All the hard surfaces made the system a bit harsh with the wrong soundtrack. It could have used 8 subs instead of 4 but thats not gonna happen anymore.

The Metro has a larger screen by 5 inches in width. The screen at the Metro actullay fits the auditorium better in some ways and has better visual impact. The Metro seats 675 and actually sounds better in the mids and highs. Much smoother sounding. The bass is not quite as tight as the Coronet but there is more of it. I only wish they would ditch the older JBL surrounds for the big EV surrounds that the Coronet had. The Metro uses all EV behind the screen with bi amplification and double stacked bass bins and 4 subs.

[Woochifer]

The biggest problem the Coronet had was acoustics. All the hard surfaces made the system a bit harsh with the wrong soundtrack. It could have used 8 subs instead of 4 but thats not gonna happen anymore.

My impression of the Coronet was that the volume was sometimes cranked too high for the system to handle. The harshness I noticed, but I also heard occasional distortion, especially in the bass. Despite that, I still liked that theater because seeing a movie there felt like an event.

It seems that I've encountered sound issues with most of the big single screen theaters in S.F. The Alhambra, the Regency, the North Point, and the Castro are/were all grand movie palaces. Beautiful auditoriums, but with bad acoustics and/or inadequate sound systems that made the dialog very difficult to follow. IMO, the Castro is the grandest remaining movie theater in S.F. Nothing like getting a concert on the mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ before the show. Too bad the only movies I can follow there are subtitled foreign films! (Behind the screen, there's a huge amount of space, which creates all kinds of reverb)

And that's the biggest difference with the big single screen theaters in L.A. Most of them have treated the acoustics and minimized the reverb from the screen speakers. The Village, Bruin, Crest, and National theaters in Westwood, and the Grauman's Chinese, El Capitan, Egyptian, and Cinerama Dome in Hollywood are wonderful single screen theaters with a grand feel. But, they also have modern sound and projection systems that are better than what you typically find at even the newest theaters.

The Metro has a larger screen by 5 inches in width. The screen at the Metro actullay fits the auditorium better in some ways and has better visual impact. The Metro seats 675 and actually sounds better in the mids and highs. Much smoother sounding. The bass is not quite as tight as the Coronet but there is more of it. I only wish they would ditch the older JBL surrounds for the big EV surrounds that the Coronet had. The Metro uses all EV behind the screen with bi amplification and double stacked bass bins and 4 subs.

Wow, that's great info. I might have to give that theater another try. It's been a few years since I've visited that theater, and if I recall it was refurbished not too long ago. Since that pie shop on Union Street closed, I haven't been as inclined to drop into that neighborhood to watch a movie!

[anamorphic96]

My impression of the Coronet was that the volume was sometimes cranked too high for the system to handle. The harshness I noticed, but I also heard occasional distortion, especially in the bass. Despite that, I still liked that theater because seeing a movie there felt like an event.

It seems that I've encountered sound issues with most of the big single screen theaters in S.F. The Alhambra, the Regency, the North Point, and the Castro are/were all grand movie palaces. Beautiful auditoriums, but with bad acoustics and/or inadequate sound systems that made the dialog very difficult to follow. IMO, the Castro is the grandest remaining movie theater in S.F. Nothing like getting a concert on the mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ before the show. Too bad the only movies I can follow there are subtitled foreign films! (Behind the screen, there's a huge amount of space, which creates all kinds of reverb)

And that's the biggest difference with the big single screen theaters in L.A. Most of them have treated the acoustics and minimized the reverb from the screen speakers. The Village, Bruin, Crest, and National theaters in Westwood, and the Grauman's Chinese, El Capitan, Egyptian, and Cinerama Dome in Hollywood are wonderful single screen theaters with a grand feel. But, they also have modern sound and projection systems that are better than what you typically find at even the newest theaters.



Wow, that's great info. I might have to give that theater another try. It's been a few years since I've visited that theater, and if I recall it was refurbished not too long ago. Since that pie shop on Union Street closed, I haven't been as inclined to drop into that neighborhood to watch a movie!

I agree, most of theatres have issues. The Metro is good to my ears but could still use some work at tightneing up the bass. The biggest problem is the companies dont want to pay the money for the upgrades. Down in LA its a different story since the studios are there and DEMAND perfection for screenings and premieres. These houses are under CONSTANT care by the union or an in house technician. Which outside of LA and NY is practically non existent.

As far as the best sounding system in the city. Public - This honor goes to the Metreon's big house. I think its house 13. This house when properly set is awesome. The only things I can attribute this to is proper set up (most important) and the new 3 way EV speakers they installed. This house is also using about twice as many amps as the typical theatre. But the kicker is the picture quality has slipped and they cant seem to focus the lamp or image to save there lives. On top of that half the time the picture is scratched. GRRRR such a shame.
Now for private theatres. This goes to the Dolby screening room. But thats to be expected.

A few other things to note. The Castro did get the Regency's sound system when it closed but they screwed up the install. JBL all around.

The AMC 1000 Van Ness seems to have the most consistent presentation quality along with repectable sound.

The Galaxy theatre despite its terrible seats, no cup holders, and no legroom has two great sounding big houses. But they dont get the movies like they used to.

If you ever have any random questions about the theatres here in the city let me know. I can tell you just about anything you might want to know as far as whats behind the screens and being used in the booth.