The 60 dB reverberation metric is impractical in real listening conditions

Evidence

W. C. Sabine, the acoustician, has defined reverberation time technically. It is the time that elapses from the instant a sound source is switched off until its energy decays to one millionth of its original strength (a drop of 60 decibels). As far as the ear is concerned, it is the time it takes for a sound to melt and be lost in the ambient noise. Echo differs from reverberation in that it is a repetition or partial repetition of a sound, due to reflection off a distant surface. Reverberation is also reflected sound but no separate repetitions of the original are distinguishable. — Schafer, Murray R, The Soundscape- Our Sonic Environment…, 446 (#contradicts, via linked claim)

Although stereophonic reproduction can give a sufficiently accurate imitation of an orchestra [the soundstage], it is necessary to imitate also the wall reflections of the concert hall, in order that the reproduction may be musically satisfactory. This can be done by means of several loudspeakers, distributed over the listening room, to which the signal is fed with different time-lags. The diffused character of the artificial reverberation thus obtained [creating envelopment] seems to be even more important than the reverberation time. — , Toole, Floyd E - Sound reproduction-…, 1638 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Reverberation time is defined as a 60-decibel energy decay — Schafer, Murray R, The Soundscape- Our Sonic Environment…, 446; Diffused artificial reverberation matters more than reverberation time for musical satisfaction — , Toole, Floyd E - Sound reproduction-…, 1638; True diffuse sound fields cannot form in small absorptive listening rooms

Broader Connections

• Reverberation time is defined as a 60-decibel energy decay #contradicts (0.80) — Schafer, Murray R, The Soundscape- Our Sonic Environment…, 446
• True diffuse sound fields cannot form in small absorptive listening rooms #expands (0.80)
• Diffused artificial reverberation matters more than reverberation time for musical satisfaction #expands (0.75) — , Toole, Floyd E - Sound reproduction-…, 1638