Boosting rear-row level makes rear-wall reflections degrade intelligibility

Evidence

In general, it is not a good idea to try to make the rear row the same level, because this means the rear wall must be on-axis to a loudspeaker, which means half that speaker’s energy is splashing off the back wall and either contributing to the reverberant field or causing interference effects at the back of the venue. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 2544

Categorization

• QUESTION: Worth chasing: how do early side-wall and rear-wall reflections shape perceived speech clarity in arena design?