Using my DVD player as a decoder was too loud but only if one used the front L&R speakers as the settings only allowed a minimum of -6db. By disconnecting the front main pair I can set the centre and rear to -12db and -10db respectively which give a pink noise volume of 76db. Hey no front pair is hell I know but I just had to have a taste of HGS power
First in the mixing pot was "The Ultimate DVD Platinum" disc 1, on the DTS section there is a 5 minute short film about building demolitions. Let me first say that I've played this many many times previously with a dual Paradigm PS1000 setup and with the B&W ASW675 so I know exactly how they performed. As soon as the first explosion went off my legs were feeling the rumble from the floor, I was hearing and feeling frequencies that I've never heard with the other subs. What I didn't know also untill now was that the first explosion was obviously sub 20Hz because there was no sound emanating from the sub at the tail end of the explosion, just that my feet and chest could feel this tingling, it was the most impressive explosion I've ever heard............but better was still to come. The 5 minute film has variation on the explosions, some are just a blasting sound that are mainly heard from the speakers while others are deep deep bass, a minute into the film a large red building is blasted from it's base, the thud just smacked me hard in the chest and I had a silly smile on my face from then on, almost every deep bass explosion was totally different from the previous subs sound. I'd like to know just how low some of the explosions were in the film because there was much room shaking going on
Next for the DTS mixing pot was the legendary Titan AE (chapter 16), the ship fly-by in the first few seconds of this chapter gave me a taste of what was to come (or so I thought), when the first piece of large ice collides with another I reached a new level of silly smile complex, the power of the sub was breathtaking, it's that tingling in your whole body from the sheer low frequency coupled with tight clean bass that just has to be heard to be believed. I realised other things too during this chapter, little things like when the ship has it's tail end snapped off by ice, the moment of impact hits you in the chest but it's such a quick tight sound you forget it came from such a large entity as the HGS18, truly remarkable.
Jurassic Park III DTS next, the scene from the jet hitting the Spinosaurus to the tussle between T-Rex and Spino, a scene I played a lot of times with the B&W ASW675. Again the HGS18 transformed the sound, each time the Spino roared or took a step the whole room (and me) was rumbling and tingling, the cleanliness of the bass though makes it hugely impressive rather than overbearing.
Conclusion
Without the front pair of speakers and using the decoding ability of a DVD player is in no way ideal for testing but it's given me a taste of what's to come and to think it will get better when my pre amp returns has me entering the "silly smile complex" mode again. Then I can finally try the HGS18 out on music too which if the movies are anything to go by will make for some days off work I think
I just realised that almost everything I said is so cliche with previous comments from HGS owners, this is definitely one case where the hype is fully justified, I honestly feel that £2k is a bargain for such a leap forward in performance, praise be to Uncle Eric for delivering the beast unto my tingly room.