Room correction

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Rooms are bad for hi fi systems, yet necessary.

Loudspeakers are designed to work inside our homes despite the fact our homes constantly get in the way: bass modes, sidewall reflections, too reflective, too absorptive, etc. One way to work with the problem is room correction software. This approach typically uses a digital equalizer in the signal path that "fixes" the problem: reducing or increasing bass, treble, midrange, adjusting phase. In other words. whatever damage the room is doing to the sound, your loudspeakers put out the opposite of the damage, thereby lessening it. Room correction software doesn't fix the room, it changes what's in the room to compensate.

To use a car analogy as an example, let's imagine we're driving down an extremely bumpy road. There are two ways to adjust for the bumps: add self adjusting shock absorbers or fix the road. Room correction software is like adding self adjusting shock absorbers - the bumps gets better, but at the expense of changing the car's ride characteristics.

Until we manage to invent something that fixes the room itself, I am going to remain a stubborn guy and just tolerate the bumps.

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Paul McGowan

Founder & CEO

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