Floored

Imagine moving into a beautiful new home with granite tile floors and radiant heating. The house is gorgeous.

The sound might be harsh.

Sound waves bounce off hard floors like light off a mirror. Every note that leaves the speaker arrives at your ears twice—once directly, and again a fraction of a second later after reflecting off the floor. That delayed copy can smear the original, adding brightness and a glassy edge that makes everything sound harder than it should.

Carpet absorbs those reflections. Granite doesn't.

The obvious solution is an area rug between the speakers and your listening position. It doesn't need to cover the entire floor—just the first reflection points. You can find these by sitting in your chair, having someone slide a mirror along the floor, and noting where you can see the speaker's tweeter reflected. That's where absorption helps most.

Wall treatments help too, but the floor is often the biggest offender because it's the largest unbroken reflective surface in the room and the closest to the speakers.

The room is always part of the system.

When the floor is fighting you, a little softness goes a long way.