Most rooms don’t need acoustical treatment.

Provocative premise?  He could have said "Mono always beats stereo!"  Or 2+2=5.   Regardless, I'd guess most who care about their sound would agree the premise is incorrect generally speaking.

Let's say most rooms will benefit from acoustic treatment. Not treating a room that sounds 'fine to me' will still probably always make it sound better. And big bass spikes are hard to dispel without treatment of some sort. 

There are plenty of sneaky ways to treat a 'living room' system that don't wreck the esthetics. Or you live with a bit less; life does not end. With over 150 sq ft of window glass in a 21x17 room, and art on the walls, by necessity I use DSP room correction. With speakers on long wall and tweeters out 50" my 8ft triangle is somewhat near-field with a large opening behind the listening chair.

The DSP removes all bass spikes (room and speaker created). I use just a single EQ curve, only to reduce brightness due to reflection (although far off in arrival ms). The difference is more than noticeable; gone are the bass booms and louder treble. That and the untreated room give me near flat frequency response from 30-16k. Removing the correction makes one cringe.  I like the sound of music with a flat system; others do not.

I have no doubt additional acoustical treatments would improve the room. Mahgister is dragging me into his camp mentally (thanks, I guess). If I was using a cave-like 12x20x8 basement room I could go wild experimenting but I'm totally unwilling to blow off my daytime rky mtn views since I'm retired.

Any good aps that can evaluate room accoustics?

saw one called clapIR but didnt understand graphs created

I don’t know that I have enough data to agree or disagree with the assertion of ’most rooms’, but my roughly hexagonal shaped room even with a bed in the room needed one acoustic panel on the 1st reflection point on the left to balance out the sound from the left and right speakers.

Know what, that one acoustic panel transformed my room into one of the best sounding rooms I’ve heard anywhere.

@jumia For apps that can evaluate room acoustics, your own ears are pretty good. Once you hear a good sounding room it's easier to hear when a room doesn't sound right.

Know what, that one acoustic panel transformed my room into one of the best sounding rooms I’ve heard anywhere.

i understood you perfectly, a room could be transformed by ONE single straw...

For uneducated mind it is magic or snake oil...

For Helmholtz and me now, pure acoustic science, a science far more important for audio experience than electronic engineereing and in the worst case on par with electronic engineering....

For sure Helmholtz results are integrated in electronic design itself now, but i speak for those who could  use his results like me at low cost in acoustic of room, like his famous sets of bottles....This experiment i go on with to reach new  suprizing result for  my speakers, cost me NOTHING... This is the gist of the journey i started....

Others will prefer to buy a costly equalizer without even knowing the limitations of this gear in acoustic settings....

I dont have the money to buy plug sit and boast.... 😁






But for you i offer my deepest respect and thanks for your observation useful for all.... 😊