Removing conflicting reflections improves perception of low-level audio detail

Evidence

The large changes in the level of reflected sound had only a modest (1 to 5 dB) effect on the absolute threshold or the image-shift threshold of an additional lateral reflection occurring within about 30 ms of the direct sound. At longer delays the thresholds were elevated by up to about 20 dB, a clear response to stronger late-reflected sounds in the increasingly live rooms. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 630 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Larger recorded spaces perceptually dominate smaller playback spaces — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 695; The precedence effect reduces masking from reflections in rooms — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 1574; Room reverberation barely affects early reflection audibility but strongly elevates late-reflection thresholds — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 630 (+2 more)

Related

• Small playback rooms impose their own early reflections on recorded sound (similarity 0.92)
• Room reverberation barely affects early reflection audibility but strongly elevates late-reflection thresholds (similarity 0.92)
• Dense early reflections sum perceptually to sound livelier than energy measurements predict (similarity 0.90)
• The precedence effect reduces masking from reflections in rooms (similarity 0.90)
• Reverberant fields supply most perceived loudness in normal rooms (similarity 0.88)
• Early reflections must be suppressed about 15 dB to stay inaudible (similarity 0.87)
• Real-room reflections are attenuated and delayed, not equal-level and immediate. (similarity 0.87)
• Suppressing early reflections in one listening zone widens the perceived time-delay gap (similarity 0.87)
• A small listening room’s first reflections mask the recorded acoustic space (similarity 0.87)
• Music listeners prefer reflections far stronger and later than small rooms provide. (similarity 0.86)
• Natural room reflections are too weak and early to please listeners of reproduced speech. (similarity 0.86)
• Multichannel and immersive audio reduce the perceptual importance of small-room reflections. (similarity 0.86)
• Room boundary reflections are the second loudest sounds a listener hears (similarity 0.86)
• Room reflections improve the ear’s ability to hear resonances in playback. (similarity 0.85)
• Early wall reflections pin perceived sound space to room size (similarity 0.85)

Broader Connections

• Room reverberation barely affects early reflection audibility but strongly elevates late-reflection thresholds #expands (0.80) — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 630
• Suppressing early reflections in one listening zone widens the perceived time-delay gap #exemplifies (0.78)