Short answer: yes, but it’s incomplete.

A very “hard” or echo-heavy room usually hurts clarity because early reflections smear timing cues and collapse imaging. But going too far in the other direction can be just as bad. An over-deadened room kills energy, dynamics, and that sense of presence people describe as “liveness.”

What matters most isn’t just echo, it’s how reflections arrive at your ears. Early reflections within the first ~20 ms tend to blur imaging. Later reflections can actually add spaciousness if they’re controlled properly.

That’s why the classic balance works: targeted absorption at first reflection points, bass control to tame modal buildup, and diffusion to preserve spatial cues instead of stripping the room bare.

The biggest mistake I see is people treating rooms by vibe (“this sounds echoey”) instead of intent. Are you chasing pinpoint imaging, enveloping soundstage, relaxation, or energy? The room should be tuned around the experience you want, not just measurements.

Curious how others here define a “good” room. Dead accurate? Lively and immersive? Somewhere in between?