Supercars on Gravel Roads: Are You Wasting Your Sound System’s Potential?

Supercars on Gravel Roads: Are You Wasting Your Sound System’s Potential?

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Would you drive a Formula 1 racing car on a gravel road? Not if you could help it, right? Because on a gravel road, you know that an F1 car can’t reveal its potential. Yet, this is exactly what many audiophiles do when they play their high-end audio system in an untreated room—they’re not hearing how good their system can actually sound.

The F1/gravel road metaphor is the first thing that pops into my mind every time I see a photo of a high-end system in a magazine or online, set up in a substandard listening environment. Why do people who are otherwise obsessed with improving their musical experiences overlook something as fundamental as the room’s effect on sound?

Beauty, of course! Or rather, the fear of ruining it. When taken too far or done haphazardly, treating a room can become a visual nightmare. Another reason room treatments aren’t as popular as other audiophile upgrades? Inexperience. The average audiophile simply doesn’t know enough about room acoustics to understand which treatments to use—or how to use them.

I’m here to change that. I’ll show you why it’s worth the effort—because when done properly, your room will sound significantly better.

That it fails to give you goosebumps like it used to? Maybe the feeling got worse after listening to your friend’s system or after coming home from a live concert in an intimate venue.

So what happened?

Probably… the acoustics.

audio, audiophile, hi-fi, high-end, acoustic treatment, Robert Schryer, PMA Magazine

Let’s look at this lack of “goosebumps” situation closer. With time, the sound of an audio component evolves. The constant flow of electric current alters how it operates and sounds. While this is happening, our hearing adapts better to certain changing frequencies than others.

You might also notice shifts in your system’s performance: the right side of the sonic image now seems vague, lacking the precision of the left side. Your low frequencies seem more restrained than usual, but when you take a few steps forward, the bass is all there.  The trumpet from a recording you know well doesn’t sound as real or close to you as before.

One of the main goals of a great sound system is to recreate a realistic soundstage where the speakers disappear. Achieving this isn’t easy—especially because of something most audiophiles ignore: room acoustics.

Where to Begin: The Reference Track Test

Start by listening to a reference track—one you’ve played dozens or hundreds of times and know by heart. It doesn’t need to be a perfectly recorded song, but it should be something you know exactly how it should sound. Importantly, don’t let your eyes guide you. Close them and listen for clues. I’m not addressing the music lover inside of you but the audiophile. Is the bass still gut-punching? The imaging still solid? The details as copious? If not, the problem is likely acoustics-related—meaning the interaction between your equipment and your room is off.

audio, audiophile, hi-fi, high-end, acoustic treatment, Robert Schryer, PMA Magazine

Now consider that everything with a surface—your sofa, curtains, coffee table, LP rack, even you—acts as an acoustic panel. A furnished room naturally absorbs and diffuses sound differently than an empty one.

But is reverberation bad? Not at all. It’s what allows sound to travel, expand, and feel alive. The key is having just the right amount to maintain clarity without creating an echoey mess or a dead-sounding room.

When loudspeakers project sound, the waves interact with every surface, either being absorbed or reflected. Too much absorption makes the room sound flat and lifeless, while too much reflection creates harshness and muddiness—both of which prevent the speakers from “disappearing” into the soundstage.

This is where RT60 (Reverberation Time 60) comes in. RT60 measures how long it takes for sound to decay by 60dB in a room. As sound waves bounce off walls, floors, ceilings, and furniture, their reflections mix, creating reverberation. The more absorbent materials in the room (like curtains, chairs, and carpets), the shorter the reverberation time.

For example, if a sound starts at 100dB and takes 10 seconds to decay to 40dB, the RT60 is 10 seconds. The goal is to strike a balance—long enough to keep the sound open and immersive, but short enough to maintain clarity and detail.

A RT60 above 0.5 seconds is considered high, while below 0.3 seconds is low. If your RT60 is off, acoustic treatment can bring it into balance, allowing your system to perform at its best. The right amount of reverberation makes the difference between a room that sounds muddy or harsh and one that lets your system disappear into a natural, immersive soundstage.

But how do you know if your room has too much or too little reverberation? And more importantly—how do you fix it?

How to Measure RT60 in Your Room

The good news is, you don’t need a laboratory or expensive measuring equipment to figure this out. There are simple ways to test your room’s reverberation time (RT60), and knowing this will tell you exactly what your room needs to improve your system’s sound.

Method 1: The Hand Clap Test (Quick & DIY)

You don’t need software for this one—just your hands and your ears.

  1. Stand in the middle of your room.
  2. Clap your hands once, sharply.
  3. Listen.

Did the sound disappear instantly? Your room is probably too dampened.
Did the clap linger or echo? Your room is too reflective.
Did you hear a weird metallic or fluttering sound? That’s called flutter echo, and it means your room has parallel reflective surfaces that need treatment.

This won’t give you an exact RT60 number, but it’s a quick way to get a sense of your room’s acoustic behavior.

Method 2: The Smartphone App Approach (Easy & More Accurate)

If you want real numbers, grab your phone. There are several free or inexpensive apps that can measure RT60 for you:

  • Room EQ Wizard (REW) – Free, powerful, but requires a microphone for accuracy.
  • Dirac Live – High-end option, often used in home theater setups.
  • Decibel X (iOS & Android) – Simple, but useful for rough estimates.

To measure RT60 using an app:

  1. Sit in your listening position and place your phone where your head would be.
  2. Generate a short, loud sound (a clap, balloon pop, or burst of white noise).
  3. The app will record the decay and tell you your RT60 in seconds.

What to Do With Your RT60 Results

If RT60 is Above 0.5 Seconds (Too Much Reverberation)

Your room has too many hard surfaces reflecting sound, causing an excessive echoey or bright sound.

What to Do:

  • Add acoustic panels on reflection points (side walls, ceiling, behind speakers).
  • Use thicker curtains over windows.
  • Place a rug on hard floors.
  • Add bass traps if low frequencies sound boomy.
  • Use bookshelves, plants, or diffusers to scatter reflections naturally.

If RT60 is Below 0.3 Seconds (Too Little Reverberation)

Your room is too dampened, making it sound lifeless and unnatural.

What to Do:

  • Remove excess absorption panels—especially if you have too many foam panels.
  • Use wooden surfaces or bookshelves to add natural diffusion.
  • Avoid overusing carpets and thick curtains.
  • Introduce reflective elements to bring liveliness back into the sound.

If RT60 is Between 0.3s and 0.5s (Ideal Range)

This is where you want to be. If you’re still not happy with your sound, consider fine-tuning:

  • Speaker placement can dramatically affect imaging and clarity.
  • Seating position matters—try moving your chair forward or backward.
  • Experiment with diffusion and absorption to match your personal preference.

Final Thoughts: Fix the Room, Not the Gear

Most audiophiles obsess over new speakers, cables, and amps, but your room plays the biggest role in how your system sounds. If your RT60 is off, no amount of high-end gear will fix it.

Before you upgrade your speakers, try fixing your room first—you might be shocked at how much better your system already sounds.

2024 PMA Magazine. All rights reserved.


Dear readers,

As you might know, PMA is an independent consumer audio and music magazine that prides itself on doing things differently. For the past three years, we’ve dedicated ourselves to bringing you an authentic reading experience. We steer clear of commercial influences, ensuring that what you hear from us is genuine, unfiltered, and true to our values.

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