Room acoustics can be dealt with pretty inexpensively -- something as simple as adding an area rug to a room with hardwood floors, for example. It can make a very big difference in the process, which is the point that I think Jason J was making in his last post, and it doesn't necessarily require spending big bucks on custom-made bass traps and decorative absorbing panels. I think curegeorg is underestimating the value of considering the space's acoustics. Spiker (an architect by day) was just commenting on how mistakes in room acoustics completely ruined the demonstration of some high-dollar Mark Levinson gear.

In performance spaces such as theaters, acoustical design can be very, very quirky -- I've done HVAC design in several such spaces (TV and radio recording studios, two chapels, and some work on a college theater), and there are a ton of factors to consider. Not merely the shape of the space but also construction materials, adjacent spaces, ambient noise from outside, noise from building systems (dimmers, air conditioning), ... In a home theater, it is typically a good deal less complicated (if only because a lot of the variables are already locked into something).

------------------
gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

[This message has been edited by gonk (edited January 16, 2004).]