[RheingoldRiver]

I recently watched Rings of Power, and I found the dialogue nearly impossible to understand without subtitles - everyone was so quiet all the time, almost whispering to each other, and almost never speaking towards the camera, so I wasn't getting the aid of seeing the sounds they were making either. The Numenoreans were ok usually but no one else was intelligible without subtitles. It happens in movies a lot too, mixing is often done to prioritize effects & music, rather than people actually understanding wtf anyone is saying.

All this to say, I turned on subtitles within one episode and it made for a much better viewing experience. Once I was able to read along I had no issue at all understanding the words too, but without the cue it was impossible.

[Double_a_92]

This effect is especially bad for originally English series and movies. I understand English pretty well, but it's incredibly difficult for me to watch movies on a TV. Either I have to wear headphones, or set the TV volume uncomfortably loud.

[ridgered4]

I find the audio mix on a lot of movies is such that turning it up makes almost no difference. It barely improved the dialog loudness, just increases the obnoxiously loud music and sound effects.

Older media seems to have a more even mix. It is probably a 5.1 through my stereo speakers thing but I'm not sure how to fix it or if even can be fixed.