Even anechoic rooms have a low-frequency operational limit

Evidence

Many audiophiles and even some studio professionals are unaware that their sound spaces have such characteristics. Low-frequency resonances of a relatively small room (see chapter 27), with anywhere from a half up to a few wavelengths from wall to wall, can be especially strong in the 30 to 100 Hz bass region. If you have ever heard a truck idling outside with an annoying response inside a room, you have listened to one of these resonances. Between the resonance frequencies, the bass response is actually reduced, as we know from the modeling clay, or “rob Peter to pay Paul” principle (see section 11.3). The low-frequency resonances can cause the most expensive system to sound muddy or boomy. — Eric J. Heller, Why You Hear What You Hear- An…, 1266 (#exemplifies, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Every room has a low-frequency limit below which reverberation time is meaningless; Every room has a low-frequency limit below which modal effects dominate; Room size does not alter steady-state curves above 400 Hz — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 1338 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Every room has a low-frequency limit below which modal effects dominate #corroborates (0.95)
• Room low-frequency resonances make expensive audio systems sound muddy or boomy #exemplifies (0.80) — Eric J. Heller, Why You Hear What You Hear- An…, 1266
• At high frequencies rooms act as irregular interference fields rather than standing-wave patterns #expands (0.75)
• Room size does not alter steady-state curves above 400 Hz #expands (0.72) — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 1338