Opposite-wall reflections compensate for surround propagation loss at no cost

Evidence

Figure 7.4(b) showed that direct sounds from the side surrounds and reflections of those sounds from the opposite wall both fall comfortably into the “balloon” and therefore contribute to impressions of spaciousness. If the direct sounds are diminished by propagation loss, it can be of some assistance if strong reflections of those sounds are possible from the opposite wall. It is not a perfect solution, but it costs nothing. The worst thing to do, it seems, would be to spend money on acoustical absorbers for those locations, aggravating the situation. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 844

Categorization

• QUESTION: Worth verifying: is the claim that adding absorbers on the far wall would aggravate the lack of spaciousness a testable hypothesis in a real room?
• SEED: Article angle: the counterintuitive case for keeping reflective walls in home theaters rather than over-treating them with absorbers.