No two listening areas sound exactly alike. The sound waves are absorbed or
reflected by the walls and contents in each area. This varies from “live” rooms,
which have hard surfaces and contents (i.e. bathroom) and totally reflect sound
waves, to “dead” rooms, which absorb sound through use of heavy drapes,
carpets, overstuffed furniture or absorption type panels on the walls. The
“average” listening room (i.e. your living room) is somewhere between; it likely
has carpets, drapes and stuffed furniture, which absorbs some sound waves,
along with smooth surfaced walls and a “hard” ceiling which reflects other
waves.
Rules of Thumb
1.
In a “live” room speakers will sound muddled, indistinct and echoey, with
poor imaging. This can be remedied by adding some absorption materials,
like drapes, carpet and stuffed furniture.
2.
Good speakers will sound good in “dead” room. However, since few sound
waves are being reflected, your speakers will require more amplifier power to
allow them to reproduce the same apparent sound (volume) pressure levels
as the same speakers in a “livelier” room. Also your speakers will be more
critical to room placement, since lack of reflected sound will limit the “ideal”
listening area. You can make a room somewhat “livelier” by exposing a hard
surface or two (i.e. opening the drapes, for instance, particularly close to the
speakers)
3.
The “average” listening room which both reflects and absorbs sound, seems
ideal. It allows the listener to hear sound from the loudspeakers, as well as
some (but not too much) reflected sound.
B.
Speaker Placement
The position of your loudspeakers in your room will directly affect their
performance. Room placement can often produce large apparent differences in
sound for small changes in placement.
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