A flat in room frequency response may not sound the best

[2ndammendment]

I looked around and didn't see this posted anywhere on this forum. If I missed something and this is a repost, my apologies.

This is a cool test that was done over at Harman International, its an evaluation of different room correction options available. What I found interesting about this is that the listeners in this test did not think a flat in-room response sounded best. When they setup the room so it had a "perfectly" flat frequency response people thought it sounded thin, harsh and colored. I've personally noticed this when trying to get a perfectly flat frequency response. I noticed that MCACC on my Pioneer receivers typically make my speakers sound thin and harsh, and after years of experimenting I found it always sounded best when I added in a roll-off of the high frequencies starting after 2hkz and raising the level of the subwoofer. After reading this it makes sense now. I think MCACC is trying to achieve a perfectly flat response and thats why it doesn't sound good. My personal house curve looks sort of like the best rated curve in the test they did. Its cool to know that I wasn't just crazy thinking my modified curves sounded better and more natural. They go through and have people rate which curves sounded best and had them pick how they thought the curve they heard looked like on paper. It's interested to see how perception of sound varies from the reality. Hope this helps people.
https://docs.google.com/viewer?srcid=0B97zTRsdcJTfY2U4ODhiZmUtNDEyNC00ZDcyLWEzZTAtMGJiODQ1ZTUxMGQ4&pid=explorer&efh=false&a=v

 

[ImcLoud]

I seen that before..

I never believed in the whole "good graphs" = "good sound" , I know it is unpopular opinion around here but I can not stand room correction... For HT I don't really notice it, but with music I am familiar with I can not stand it...

Some people like flat, some people like heavy low end, some people like a forward sound with strong highs, and with a program designed to get as flat as possible you are only going to satisfy one group and them are the ones that have meters, lol...

 

[TLS Guy]

The whole concept of programs like Audyssey MCACC, and the rest is flawed and totally discredited. I have two systems with Audyssey and if engaged makes the systems sound dreadful. Programs like this should only be used for level, delay etc and never for Eq.

 

[2ndammendment]

I think they work great as long as they let you get in there and modify it yourself(ie apply your own house curve). You cant just throw one of those curves from the Harman study on your system without first achieving a flat in room response and the easiest way to do that is with an auto eq.

 

[j_garcia]

I like my system without the auto EQ just fine. Won't be perfect, but if it sounds good, who cares? I watch movies with it on, but music is analog direct.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

If have heard with my own ears how the common issue of HT system - hard to understand human speech, has been successfully resolved by PROPERLY run of Audyssey

Don't blame the system if you didn't follow the step correctly

"Official" Audyssey thread (FAQ in post #51779)
"Official" Audyssey thread (FAQ in post #51779) - Page 191

To OP's question - there is such thing as room curves - Learning from History - Cinema Sound and EQ Curves
As you can see - they are not flat

 

[flyboylr45]

I was curious about this too and took measurements of the room with and without the room correction. I really like what the "corrected" room sounds like and it is nowhere near flat. I guess RoomPerfect does not try to make the frequency response flat. I'm assuming that Audyssey and others do shoot for a flat frequency response? I wonder what Lyngdorf's RooomPerfect shoots for….

 

[fuzz092888]

I was curious about this too and took measurements of the room with and without the room correction. I really like what the "corrected" room sounds like and it is nowhere near flat. I guess RoomPerfect does not try to make the frequency response flat. I'm assuming that Audyssey and others do shoot for a flat frequency response? I wonder what Lyngdorf's RooomPerfect shoots for….

Audyssey has two curves. The first is the Audyssey curve which rolls off the high end and the second is a flat response. There are other options, but those are the basics that are pretty much standard on all flavors of Audyssey.