I don't think we've ever gone to an audio show and found the room for setup a treat. Typically, it's a battle to position the speakers and make the best of the situation we're handed.
You face the same dilemma in your home. And yet, without that damn room, you and I would not enjoy our music as much as we do.
A pair of speakers placed in your backyard will be less than great sounding: empty, lackluster, uninvolving.
Here's the thing. Our rooms reflect sound in an uncontrolled and chaotic manner. It is the confinement of walls and the bouncing of sound that drives us nuts in setup, yet it is these same elements that turn lackluster performance into magic.
My best advice is to embrace the room and its reflections. Turn lemons into lemonade.
By accepting and controlling reflections, our finest magic takes place.
Tomorrow, diffusion vs. absorption.
