Does the first reflection point actually matter??


Hello my friends,

So please read the whole post before commenting. The question is nuanced.

First, as you probably know I’m a huge fan of the well treated room, and a fan boy of GIK acoustics as a result, so what I am _not_ arguing is against proper room treatment. I remember many years ago, perhaps in Audio magazine (dating myself?) the concept of treating the first reflection points came up, and it seems really logical, and quickly adopted. Mirrors, flashlights and lasers and paying the neighbor’s kid (because we don’t have real friends) to come and hold them while marking the wall became common.

However!! In my experience, I have not actually been able to tell the difference between panels on and off that first reflection point. Of course, I can hear the difference between panels and not, but after all these years, I want to ask if any of you personally know that the first reflection point really matters more than other similar locations. Were we scammed? By knowing I mean, did you experiment? Did you find it the night and day difference that was uttered, or was it a subtle thing, and if those panels were moved 6" off, would you hear it?


Best,


Erik
erik_squires

Showing 1 response by audioguy85

My speakers sound just fine, at least to me in my room. No acoustic treatments whatsoever. The room is furnished with a mix or balance of reflective and absorbing materials. I just turn the system on and enjoy my music. I'm not fussing over this stuff, as it makes the hobby unenjoyable to me. Besides, all these things stuck up on the wall are ugly. I'd rather accomplish basically the same thing with a balanced room via its contents or furnishings. Jmo