Floor reflections are an inherent part of normal human listening

Evidence

Some of this is anecdotal, not the result of thorough scientific investigation. But there is an intriguing logic to the notion that humans evolved while standing on something, and most of what we hear includes reflections from what is under our feet. Wherever we are, reflections from what is under our feet have been useful in gauging distance, among other things. Floor reflections are a part of symphonic performances, jazz club performances, conversations at home or on the street. Is that a problem, a virtue or just a fact of life? — , Toole, Floyd E - Sound reproduction-…, 790

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the soundscape chapter’s idea that keynote sounds are noticed only when they change or vanish — floor reflections are the acoustic equivalent of a keynote.” — connects to: Reflections serve as spatial orientation cues for humans; Floor reflections are perceptually benign and removing them sounds unnatural.; Real listening rooms produce semi-reflective fields, not free or diffuse fields (+3 more)
• QUESTION: The evolutionary argument is intriguing but anecdotal — worth looking for actual psychoacoustic studies on floor-reflection reliance.

Broader Connections

• An echo is partly an original sound from the reflecting material #expands (0.78) — Gordon Hempton, John Grossmann, One Square Inch of Silence- One Man’s…, 927
• Human hearing normalizes wildly different acoustic environments to a constant source #corroborates (0.75) — , Toole, Floyd E - Sound reproduction-…, 810