The Listening Room Reality

[Innocent_Bystander]

@frenchrooster

Sound seems a bit muted , not?

It will probably depend to some extent on the speaker and how it is designed. A true anechoic chamber would be highly unpleasant to occupy in silence [Link]. I suspect that it wouldn’t seem great for music playing, at least not with most speakers, and if playing quietly the lack of normal room ambience would likely intrude. However, getting close to anechoic, in effect removing the room, can be highly beneficial, as I found and reported in another thread, linking early in this one but tge key part copied here for convenience:

@Innocent_Bystander

The best sound from hifi I have heard, EVER, was a Thorens TD150 TT, Rega RB300, can’t remember the cart, alternated with Shearne Audio Phase 7 CD player, through MF The Preamp 2a, MF P170 power amp, driving ~34 year old IMF RSPM speakers through assorted nondescript joined scraps of wire to a total of around 40-50 metres length. The speakers were near the end of my garden, sitting on plastic crates to raise them about 18 inches, and about 20 feet apart facing towards the house some 70 feet away. Behind and to the sides were hedges, in between the speakers and patio at the rear of the house were vegetable patch, flowerbeds and lawn. Upon connecting up, prior to getting other things ready for the party that lovely summer day (to which neighbours were invited), we were absolutely stunned by the sound, and got out chairs and sat in the middle of the garden to have lunch and enjoy it, nearly forgetting to get up and do what we were supposed to be doing!

The reason? Virtually complete absence of room effects (other than reflection from the house wall 30-40 feet behind us). Crudely speaking, not a long way from being an anechoic chamber such as that used in development of those monitor speakers designed to give neutral full range sound.