LD Gurus: Most Agressive 5.1 tracks? (1 Viewer)

[Dave Simpson]

Hey gang, I just picked up my new LD player (used, Pioneer 704) and RF demod box. Now I need to you guys to advise me on the most agressive, room-rattling soundtracks of them all. I mean, I want to shake the fillings out of my head and shatter my very best china (or, at least as well as my 10" sub will permit). I'm interested mainly in AC-3 tracks; DTS will be just fine, as well (I've already been convinced of the quality of PCM; quite sweet, indeed!). Action flicks will likely be the order of the day, I imagine. Other than the OT and Indy flicks, what do you keepers of the flame recommend? Thanks for your help, and cheers!

DS.

 

[Hartwig Hanser]

Lost in Space DTS
Long Kiss Goodnight DTS
Twister
Strange Days DTS

 

[Iain Lambert]

Long Kiss Goodnight does rather hurt the ears in places, yes. My recommendations would be (and yes, this is turning into a poll)

Saving Private Ryan (many prefer the DTS DVD, but its a question of taste really)
Event Horizon (not necessarily good use of bass though - its a touch cooked. Well, ok, its scarily loud)
Episode 1 (identical apart from an 8dB normalising to the DVD, but great nontheless)
Lost World: Jurassic Park (somehow much meatier than my DD DVD, despite several claims that the LW track, unlike the first JP track weren't fiddled with)

I don't have and DTS lasers myself, but I've heard really good things about the Blade, Jurassic Park and Armageddon DTS discs as well. A few here have them, so perhaps they can confirm.

 

[Philip Hamm]

I second Long Kiss Goodnight DTS and Saving Private Ryan DD, both outstanding soundtracks.

Daylight DTS
Mission:Impossible DD
Jurrassic Park (any version, DD, DTS, or PCM)
Lion King DD
Casper DTS

 

[Scott Stevens]

The Jurassic Park DTS disc is kick-butt! The T-Rex stomping along rattles our china cabinet on the other side of the house.

 

[greg_t]

Jurassic park DTS
Casper DTS (awesome)
Daylight DTS
The Phantom Menace DD (kills the dvd)
Titanic DTS

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

Star Trek - Generations blows away the sound of the DVD.

You may also want to seek out the Dolby Digital version of Alien as it features the original 6 track mix, which is quite different than the DVD's sound mix (different music edits, different dialogue) and has some really low bass during the ship landing absent from the DVD.

Neil

 

[Kevin P]

Independence Day - AC3 - one of the most fantastic sounding AC-3 (Dolby Digital) LDs in my collection. Lots of bass and surround effects!

 

[Armand G]

To name a few reference quality soundtracks:

Firestorm DTS (extremely agressive < 20Hz Surround)
Broken Arrow DTS (extremely agressive)
Casper DTS (the reference under the reference tracks)
Last Man Standing DTS (nice shooting scenes)
Spawn DTS
Dark City DTS (superb low level ambiance)
Volcano DTS (very spatial soundtrack)
Blade DTS
Armageddon DTS
Dante's Peak DTS
True Lies DTS
Lost In Space DTS
Daylight DTS (If you dislike your neigbours play loud !)
Alien Ressurection DTS

 

[Aaron Garman]

Hello all. My picks for reference noise making laserdiscs would include:

Star Wars Episode I-Much better than the DVD.
Jurassic Park-All versions sound great, but go for DTS.
Mission: Impossible-The train at the end...WOW
Dick Tracy-One of the best PCM tracks ever...who needs 5.1?
Top Gun-PCM or Dolby Digital
Saving Private Ryan-Incredible, just incredible.

Have fun!

Aaron Garman

 

[JonZ]

Apocalypse Now
Strange Days (Killed my friends surrounds)

 

[Lyle_JP]

My votes go to:

Tomorrow Never Dies (DTS) (better than the DD on the DVD, and it has the original burned-in subs, not the player generated abominations).

Con-Air (DTS)

Return of the Jedi: Special Edition (DD)

Twister (DD) (This sounds like a very different mix than both DVDs have, better too)

Pink Floyd: The Wall (DD) (the new mix on the DVD is nice, but this one, with more judicios use of the surrounds, is more faithful to the original 70mm presentations and, IMO, more effective).

And an honorable mention for the best subtle discrete mix: Pocahontas (DTS). (no explosions in the surrounds, but when the gentle winds rustle the leaves around you, or the faint sounds of the forest seep into every corner of your home theater, it's just plain magic!)

-Lyle J.P.

 

[stan hiller]

1 - Arnie taking off in the harrier in 'True Lies'

2 - Most of the action sequences from 'Starship Troopers'

3 - rooftop swordfight from the 10th anniversary edition of 'Highlander'

4 - Hoth battle and asteroid chase sequences from 'the Empire Strikes Back (AC3)

5 - san francisco chase sequence from 'the Rock'

6 - rumbling earthquake during the intro credits to 'volcano'

7 - police chase in 'the Fifth Element'

8 - F18's vs mig 29 (either that, or su 27's)in Airforce One'

9 - intro sequence from 'Tomorrow Never Dies'

10 - train sequence from 'Mission Impossible'

 

[Jesse Skeen]

Smoking: How to Stop

 

[Aaron Garman]

Tomorrow Never Dies (DTS) (better than the DD on the DVD, and it has the original burned-in subs, not the player generated abominations).

What exactly do you mean by this? While we're at it, is the Dolby Digital Laserdisc superior to the DVD as well?

Aaron Garman

 

[BrianP]

Apollo 13 DTS
Crimson Tide DTS
Goldeneye DTS
Toy Story DTS
Independence Day
Braveheart
Jurassic Park DTS
The Rock DTS
Casper DTS
River Wild DTS
Speed DTS

 

[SvenS]

The Phantom Menace is BY FAR the best DD LD out there! And not just because I have a copy for sale.

 

[Philip Hamm]

You may also want to seek out the Dolby Digital version of Alien as it features the original 6 track mix, which is quite different than the DVD's sound mix (different music edits, different dialogue) and has some really low bass during the ship landing absent from the DVD.

Also, LaserDisc is the best way by far to get the theatrical release of ALIENS which IMO is superior to the Special Edition. Sound is good, too.

 

[derek]

Besides what has been mentioned, a campy LD favorite of my wife and I is 'Cuttthroat Island.' One of the most agressive bass filled LD ac-3 tracks I've ever heard.