(...) So imo it's not a matter of reflections being good or bad - it's a matter of minimizing the bad ones while encouraging and cultivating the good ones. Imo the loudspeaker design itself can play a significant role here... you ever try horns???
Duke,
Perfect - every good book says the same. The problem is knowing exactly what are the bad ones and what are the good ones. And we can't simply say the bad ones are those that must be minimized and the good ones are that can be encouraged and cultivated.
IMHO small rooms (something less than 50 square meters) for stereo are more an art than a science. And as such reflects a lot the personal views and empathy of the acoustic builder. I have talked with a couple of acoustic people that completely disagreed with my views of stereo music listening in aspects such as illusionary room boundaries or layering, or even typical sound levels. Surely having them treating my room would be a complete disaster.