Spatial Sound, Part 2: Exploring the Impact of Listening Room on Sound Character

The spatial sound character in a listening room is influenced by both the room acoustics and the sound reproduction system. These elements, either individually or in combination, can improve or reduce the sound quality. This study investigates the impact of room acoustics and electroacoustics on the sound character of popular mainstream music mixed in 7.1 and 7.1.4 formats. Fourteen skilled assessors evaluated the impact on envelopment, clarity, proximity, and preference. As one might expect, the results suggest that room reverberation improves envelopment and preference. Surprisingly, most assessors found that reverberation also brings clarity to the music. Conversely, dry acoustics were not considered preferable, nor did they improve the proximity for the majority of assessors. Adding overhead channels made punk and rock songs more enveloping but improved the preference only with the simple sound field of a ballad. Overall, the results can help improve spatial sound quality and make it easier for sound mixers to deliver consistent immersive sound experiences to listeners.