From an aesthetic point of view the smooth ceiling will be more attractive. Acoustically speaking there may be a negligible difference between popcorn ceilings and smooth ceilings. Be sure to test for asbestos if you decide to smooth the ceiling as it was often used as a binding agent for popcorn ceilings.
I recently moved and during the process of searching for a new apartment over a five month period I looked at a great number of places. Room acoustics was not the highest on my list of priorities, but one place I visited noticeably stood out as having the best room sound in terms of lack of echo and best speech intelligibility. It had smooth ceilings, wall to wall carpeting and crown molding. I believe that the crown molding was an important factor as many other rooms had similar dimensions, carpeting and a mix of smooth and popcorn ceilings.
I've read that others have also noted a positive difference in room sound when adding crown molding so it's a factor to consider if your room lacks it.
I recently moved and during the process of searching for a new apartment over a five month period I looked at a great number of places. Room acoustics was not the highest on my list of priorities, but one place I visited noticeably stood out as having the best room sound in terms of lack of echo and best speech intelligibility. It had smooth ceilings, wall to wall carpeting and crown molding. I believe that the crown molding was an important factor as many other rooms had similar dimensions, carpeting and a mix of smooth and popcorn ceilings.
I've read that others have also noted a positive difference in room sound when adding crown molding so it's a factor to consider if your room lacks it.