thx is just a certification from the lucas ranch. What they have is a set of parameters that a receiver/amp should be capable, so that the "artistic intent" is present no matter where you watch the movie. Most decent receiver/amps are capable of these parameters, it just that they didn't pay for the certification and of course they don't get the standards set by lucas. It's none of those nice things to have just so you don't have to worry about calibration everytime you pop in a thx certified movie cheers
Not true Berny, THX Certified receivers have built in timbre matching and EQ which is proprietary. If theatre style sound is important to you, pay the money for THX.
I agree with Benny - THX is marketing. Many receivers would pass the THX certifaction muster if they pay the money. End result - THX certified: you pay more!
Don't let your reasoning fool you. If your'e saying that THX is marketing only, then why the hell we have certification in all we do, what we work for, etc. C'mon man, it stands for something or what they earned for. Going back to the thread issue, it depends on your listening preference. There are receivers who have good DSP's which are worth listening too besides THX. Cheers...
Anonymous
Posted on
I currently own a Yamaha HTR-5460. I too am planning on upgrading my system to THX and a few other add ons... I found out that my system that I currently have passes THX testing. However it is not certified. Yamaha did not pay for it on that model. I used a Souround test DVD and was quite surprised myself.
J. Vigne
Unregistered guest
Posted on
THX is marketing just as the Mark Levinson stereo in a Lexus is marketing. THX is marketing just as having Joe Lewis say he uses the Gillette razor blade was marketing. Lucas sets the standards that have to be met if you want THX certification. The roll off in the high frequencies is part of THX certification. It was there for a reason that existed in 1994. Most audio for movies was not being remixed for Home video. Most movie theaters were set up for a less than great audio track on the movies they played. Both situations gave an overly bright sound without THX frequency compensation. Today most DVD's are remixed for the home market and make the THX system less important. Timbre matching in the speakers is another hold over from the 90's when theaters and consumers had simply added speakers to fill out the surround sound compliment without thought to matching. In theaters this has had an obvious improvement as anyone who has listened to the same movie in a THX cinema and a non-THX set up can easily attest. The consumer simply must pay attention to get the same or similar results. Where the THX cert may make a difference is in power and volume capablity. The requirements for THX cert in these areas is quite demanding and few consumer audio components can actually meet the requirements without being designed for THX systems. I don't remember the numbers but the dB level and frequency that must be maintained for an extended period to get a subwoofer a THX certification is staggering. The question is really is THX a useful item for the consumer market today? As bragging rights go it definitely wins. But it costs big money to get that badge and it is most often money that will only prove beneficial in the most expensive systems. Many systems for the home can achieve THX standards or at least close enough for all but the most fanatic listener. Only the individual can decide if they want to pay the extra money. But it does cost a lot that goes into Mr. Lucas' bank account. My advice is buy a good system and spend the money for organic produce.
Would my Harman Kardon AVR-330 receiver(not thx certified) be qualfied if they had payed the money?I don't know if any HK receivers are THX certified.Thanks
I agree with J. Vigne. I have just upgraded my Sony STR V555ES non-THX for an Onkyo 989 2 THX Ultra II and what you get is POWER and FREQUENCY RESPONSE !!!! Plenty of !!!! The botton neck is the 80Hz fixed crossover that makes you plan for a whole set of speakers reaching this level. As a beast THX ultra II or Select certified will fry satelite speakers... no need to worry. If your tweeters are not engineered for SACD/DVD-A 20KHz and up, Re-Eq is a good thing !!! Also, boundary gain for the .1 channel and setting the distance between back surrounds is a plus.
J. Vigne
Unregistered guest
Posted on
The HK would not qualify for THX. I don't remember when HK stopped going for THX cert but it was always restricted to their top model recievers and separates. I still own a HK AVR80II from 1997 that was THX certified. Get on Lucas's Skywalker ranch site or plug THX certification into a search engine to see what the requirements are.