Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: The "THX" button on several home processors

This is topic The "THX" button on several home processors in forum The Afterlife at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 07-09-2009, 09:34 PM:

I see a selection on several audio/video home processors that allows the user to select, "THX." What exactly does this do?

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 07-09-2009, 09:52 PM:

I think it's supposed to compensate for the "X curve" factored into certain movie sound mixes. There is a difference in audio character between full range stage speakers and smaller surround speakers in commercial movie theaters. The THX thing is supposed to help make the audio coming from all the speakers sound more even when the same mix is played back in home theater settings.

One problem is not all movie mixes adjust for the X-curve. It seems to be common for certain movies to have multiple masters or different mix flavors. For instance the DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD audio tracks on the Close Encounters Blu-ray sound very different from each other despite both audio formats being lossless and effectively equal in capability.

Another issue is the Home THX concept is designed for diffuse surround, not point source activity. Home THX surround speakers will usually have two or three drivers pointing to the front and back walls rather than toward the listener.