Audyssey's Blog

Reference vs. Preference

May 13, 2009
Chris Kyriakakis

Here is a trick question: “What if I correct the acoustical problems in my room, but I don’t like the resulting sound?” If you find yourself asking this question you have stumbled on the line between Reference and Preference.

Let’s look at what room correction aims to do. You start with a good (or not so good) set of speakers, you place them in a room and what you have is problems: acoustical problems. Sound from the speakers comes to you from many different directions. Some of it directly, but most of it after interacting with the floor, ceiling, walls, and furniture. Because each of these elements is at different distances from where you sit, the combined sounds arrive at slightly different times and what you hear is a form of distortion. Voices can sound unnatural, the low frequencies are muddy or boomy, and the high frequencies lack air and sparkle (yes, these are all technical terms).

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