Multichannel and immersive audio reduce the perceptual importance of small-room reflections.

Evidence

Obviously, more research is necessary on this topic because in sound reproduction listeners wish to hear the reflections in the recording, not those of the small listening room. This is especially true in recording control rooms, which is why reflection-free zone (RFZ) rooms are created by absorbing or deflecting early listening room reflections. Evidence is scarce, but the practice began in the era of stereo, which is still with us of course, but now recordings are created in multichannel and immersive formats which are much more persuasive in delivering large space envelopment and spaciousness. With multiple sources of direct sound around the listener, it is probable that the small room acoustical contributions may be less significant. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 643

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the reader’s prior interest in whether small-room acoustics matter when recordings carry their own spatial cues; ties to Section 5.8 on recordings of large spaces masking loudspeaker flaws.
• QUESTION: Worth chasing: do recorded large-space sounds also mask aspects of the listening space, as the author explicitly raises?