Since most stereo systems are located in living rooms, which are not to be equipped with sound absorbers for aesthetic and financial reasons, professional outfitting with room acoustic elements is usually not an option. In most cases, however, the listening experience can be significantly improved with just a few simple steps.
The greatest influence on sound quality is the placement of the loudspeakers. Only with good speaker placement and a suitable listening position can you experience what your stereo system is capable of under optimal conditions. To achieve the most precise stereo imaging possible, sound reflections from the side walls should be minimized. To do this, it is best to place the loudspeakers some distance from the side walls. Especially if you have to place the speakers quite close to the side walls due to spatial conditions, you should also angle the speakers towards your listening position. By adjusting the distance from the wall and the degree of angling, you can determine how much indirect sound you receive at your listening position from wall reflections. The less diffuse sound arrives at your listening position, the more "stable" the stereo reproduction becomes. With a good recording, the singer appears exactly in the middle between the speakers, and the musicians get fixed positions around the singer. The more diffuse sound arrives at your listening position, the more spatial the reproduction appears. However, individual musicians are less clearly localized in the soundscape. Therefore, test extensively to find out how you like the reproduction of your loudspeakers best. In addition to reflections from the side walls, reflections from the rear wall also reach your listening position. Bookcases, for example, are excellent for minimizing rear sound reflections.
But it's not just the side walls and the rear wall that reflect sound and thus disrupt the sound image – the floor also acts like an acoustic mirror, which interferes with stereo reproduction. That's why you'll find carpets in all good listening rooms. These absorb some of the floor reflections; the remaining sound is diffusely reflected by a soft carpet, so that only a small part reaches the listening position. By spreading a wool blanket on the floor between the listening position and the speaker, you can test for yourself whether a carpet in your listening room offers a noticeable advantage for you.
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