The next time you walk into your living room, music room, or wherever you listen to your HiFi rig, have a listen not to the stereo but to the room itself.
It's not difficult. Listen to the quality of your voice. Is it natural? Over damped? Under damped?
Walk around the room's perimeter and clap your hands: is there an echo retort? Perfectly damped?
And how about that couch or listening chair? When you're seated, are your ears relaxed and open to the room's naturally occurring small sounds and noises? Or, does it feel like you have a pair of earmuffs on?
What you are hoping for is a relaxed and perfectly normal sound to your voice and handclaps, without added colorations or life-sucking deadness.
Often, the sound of your room is the most important element in the HiFi chain.
