This study from Boston University indicates that perceived localization and quality is not necessarily hampered by room reflections. It may even be improved. Note that it deals primarily with speech sounds and doesn't account for room mode distortions of low frequencies (which our brains don't easily segregate from what is coming from the speakers).
http://cns.bu.edu/~shinn/pages/pdf/Aizu.pdf I got to hear the author present this paper a few years ago. It was quite convincing that all the absorption used in studio control rooms isn't strictly necessary as long as the lows are balanced. And indeed, modern studio design generally includes a good mix of diffusion and absorption throughout the room. That said, floor reflections are tricky. They are some of the earliest arrivals to the listener after direct sound, and you can't easily make the floor reflections diffuse. But you also can't do much about them unless you can build a suspended grating or something. Carpet, even with a thick pad, is only an inch or so think and only will effect higher frequencies. I'd go with wood for the pleasantness of the room instead of carpet - you can always add an area rug if you want that bit of HF damping at listening positions. jim -- Jim Moses Technical Director/Lecturer Brown University Music Department and M.E.M.E. (Multimedia and Electronic Music Experiments) http://jimmoses.wordpress.com/ -- Jim Moses Technical Director/Lecturer Brown University Music Department and M.E.M.E. (Multimedia and Electronic Music Experiments) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <https://mail.music.vt.edu/mailman/private/sursound/attachments/20110328/2b39b34f/attachment.html> _______________________________________________ Sursound mailing list [email protected] https://mail.music.vt.edu/mailman/listinfo/sursound
