Dead rooms with only direct sound reveal low-level audio detail clearly.

Evidence

Proponents of this style of room say that the lack of anything but the direct sound makes it much easier to hear low-level detail in the reproduced audio and provides excellent stereo imaging. This is almost certainly due to the removal of any conflicting cues in the sound, as the floor reflection has very little effect on the stereo image. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 2312

Categorization

• QUESTION: Why does the floor reflection specifically have little effect on stereo imaging, while presumably other early reflections do? Worth chasing for psychoacoustic detail.