The quality of movie soundtracks has certainly improved!

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

Over the last three to four years, I have watched and listened with great pleasure at the improvement of not only the production of soundtracks, but of their reproduction in my hometheater. No longer can the argument be made that movie soundtrack are just a low fidelity digital experience. Unlike the audio only community there are standards in place for both the production and reproduction of movie soundtracks. There are alignment standards in every part of the manufacturing process(cause that what movie soundtracks are, a manufactured process), and just about every studio on this planet adheres to them. The music scores are in most cases are recorded in 24/96khz, using fewer microphones of higher quality, and mixer boards are becoming so quiet that microphone pre-amp noise can often be heard through them.

The overall production of soundtracks has increased in quality to the point where we no longer hear, ADR punch in's, large differences in dialog EQ, over compression, inconsistant compression amoung soundtrack elements, flat uninvolving music scores, overly harsh mixes, and many other prologic and early 5.1 problems.
We are now hearing amazing coherency in the soundfield, for the most part dialog well integrated in the overall mix(this could still stand more work). What has amazed me the most is the quality of the film scores. You are now hearing natural concert hall ambience, imaging so specific that individual instruments placement can be pointed out, overall natural instrument timbre coming out, deep, wide and high imaging, and have the ability(if your system has the resolution) to hear the deep layering of the different sources in the mix. Many film scores are beginning to sound as good as a 5.1 SACD mix, or a high quality 5.1 24/96khz DVD-A mix.

While I am appreciating the quality of the mixes, I am also accutely aware they are being conveyed by lossy coding systems. That is why I am anxiously awaiting bit for bit audio via BluRay and HD-DVD, and being delivered by way of DD and Dts HD.

Have you noticed(beyond the bombs, guns, car crashes, and dino roars) that the quality of soundtracks have improved to your ears? Comments welcome.