Customers at South Bay AMC theaters have been measuring peak sound levels above 113 dB during screenings — well above the industry calibration standard of 85 dB — and some are walking out early.

Customers at South Bay AMC locations have been measuring peak sound levels above 113 dB during screenings — and some are walking out early. A thread posted this week on r/bayarea describes the experience at AMC Saratoga 14 in San Jose as "not 'immersive action movie' loud, more like 'my ears are ringing in the lobby afterward' loud," with an iPhone decibel meter logging a claimed 140 dB peak — likely clipping at that extreme, the poster acknowledged — and the overall sound characterized as "muddy, boomy, not enjoyable at all." The thread drew 88 upvotes and 45 comments.

Reviews on amusements-parks.com corroborate the pattern at Saratoga 14: "Awful AWFUL" sound, "way too loud and distorted." At AMC Eastridge 15, also in San Jose, reviewer Arthur Michelson measured 113 dB peaks and an average of approximately 97 dB during a screening, writing: "These are levels that cause loss of hearing. Even with ear plugs I ended up with a headache. Completely irresponsible." On AVS Forum, a user going by DavidML3 walked out of an AMC Dolby Cinema screening of Mufasa when levels consistently exceeded 100 dB and was told by staff that the volume could not be adjusted.

The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers sets 85 dB SPL as the cinema calibration standard; research published via SMPTE — drawing in part on AMC audience data — found that playback levels routinely surpass patron comfort thresholds, especially during trailers. AMC Theatres has no publicly accessible sound level policy. Wayne Staab, writing in Hearing Health & Technology Matters, notes that sustained exposure above 90 dB can damage hearing and that levels above 115 dB SPL are unsafe at any duration.

The practical move: bring foam earplugs to South Bay AMC locations this weekend, or try the Dolby Cinema at AMC Metreon 16 in SF — SoundPrint rates that auditorium at an average of 76 dBA.