Listening in large reverberant venues may compromise discernible sound qualities

Evidence

Benade, in Figure 1.6, acknowledges the remarkable ability of humans to recognize qualities in the sound source while listening through the complex sound field of a room, even a concert hall. This is undoubtedly true, but it may also be true that sharing the experience among hundreds of listeners in a large reverberant venue compromises what qualities can be discerned. This unorthodox thought needs consideration. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 580