When it comes to the environment the most important thing in my experience has been to live in a house made out of wood. My first house was brick and plaster. It was impossible to get good sound there. I made dozens of bass traps and lots of other sound absorbers. I measured it and used eq to make it measure flat. Nothing I did made it good enough for me. Now, several houses later I'm in a big old wood frame house. Not great construction quality. But it sounds good. The reflections exist but they don't bother me.
OMG - Room Acoustics are Critical - WAF be dam-ed!.
Just wanted to let my friends on Audiogon know - my wife was gone this week - I moved a LAMP in my living room - Sound stage widened by 4 feet. Mid and high end much cleaner.
Room Treatments do matter.
Wish me luck - she gets home in 3 hours!
Enjoy the music - I am amazed at my playlists - like a new and improved system!
tom8999