Listeners perceive the larger of two superimposed spaces in sound reproduction.

Evidence

An interesting recent study indicated that when listening to a recorded space in a real space—the listening room—it is the larger of the two spaces that is most often perceived (Hughes et al., 2016). So, the objective in sound reproduction would appear to be to employ a playback space that sounds “smaller” than any reproduced space in program material; in domestic rooms, home theaters and recording control rooms, that would appear to be the case. In contrast, large cinemas have problems reproducing the impressions of small spaces or communicating intimacy due to inherent large-room spatial cues. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 465

Categorization

• SHARE: A useful counterintuitive result for anyone doing room acoustics — playback space should sound smaller than the recorded venue.
• XREF: Connects to precedence effect and binaural psychoacoustics of spatial dominance; also echoes the ‘sound bubble’ concept in immersive audio.