Inox last week launched AmpliX audio sound technology for theatres. AmpliX seat audio is the country’s first premium sound format that is promised to offer a 360-degree spherical sound experience.
What’s AmpliX at INOX and how does it work?
As you’d guess by the name, AmpliX is basically the sound coming from the seats in the theatre. That sounds interesting, isn’t it? To dig deeper, I visited the country’s biggest Inox theatre that’s located in Mumbai at the Inorbit Mall in Malad.
AmpliX is currently only available at Inox Megaplex in Mumbai, which is said to be a multiplex with the highest number of cinema viewing formats.
While the Megaplex multiplex has several cinema viewing formats such as ScreenX, MX4D, Laser, and others, the AmpliX seat audio is another experience that the company plans to deliver to its customers.
However, this one is different and pretty interesting, especially if you are a movie buff or someone who’s into surround sound or Dolby. Although for a short period, I experienced the AmpliX seat audio at the Audi 5, which is the only screen where you’d find AmpliX in the multiplex.
Entering the Audi 5, I spotted the special seats that had the AmpliX sound. These seats are in the fifth row. The entire fifth row has seats with AmpliX audio.
These seats have four speakers, two on the upper side (just below your shoulders), one in the middle (exactly where your back touches), and two at the bottom (where you sit).
Now, with the help of these speakers, the sound gets enhanced making you feel the major vibrations, which get produced in sync with the sound of the movie that’s playing in the theatre.
Having said that, AmpliX seat audio is the secondary sound that complements the movie sound. Inox says that they produced an algorithm that syncs on-screen audio with the seat audio to offer a 3D effect. So, Dolby Atmos sound from the speakers in the theatres, plus AmpliX seat sound.
Being a secondary sound, you can turn it off anytime with a press of a button, that’s located near the handrest of the seat.
Does it make any difference?
All that said, does it make any difference? Well, it does to some extent.
I experienced the audio with half a dozen trailers played on screen from different genres. Starting off by playing some Bollywood trailers like Bhola, An Action Hero, and Pathaan, to some Hollywood trailers such as Avatar 2, Megan, and my favorite Harry Potter.
To experience the tech and understand the change, I first watched content without the AmpliX audio, by turning off the speakers.
Then I turned it on and instantly noticed that the audio was increased to some extent, as if SRK was near my ears.
Increased audio, that’s it? Apart from the overall audio enhancement, the effects in the various scenes such as fight scenes, and music, were much more pronounced. Even when the scene was quiet, I was able to hear the ambient sound from the movie.
Once you keep the AmpliX sound on, there’s no going back. That’s because, you are already spoiled by the 360-degree sound, and turning it off will make you feel as if one portion of the speaker isn’t working.
However, if you are an audiophile, these could just be some extra speakers for you that act as audio enhancers. But for regular consumers or movie buffs, the tech may provide you with a slightly different and better experience, albeit with only a select genre of movies.
Not that pricey, but could be difficult to get a seat
What comes as a surprise to me is, that the seats with AmpliX audio aren’t that pricey. Puneet Gupta, AVP at Inox, said that the price of the AmpliX special seats is in line with the price of upper-row seats in the theatre. If upper-row seats are priced at Rs 240, the AmpliX seats will cost the same.
As far as the availability is concerned, finding an AmpliX seat for yourself isn’t easy. Firstly, it’s only available in Mumbai in a single multiplex for now. Also, there’s only one Audi, the Audi 5, having AmpliX seats. So you may have a hard time getting yourself an AmpliX seat.
However, Inox plans to introduce the tech in more multiplexes across India. The next cities to get AmpliX seats will be Indore and New Delhi.