I don’t feel it’s appropriate to think of room reflections as distortion. Ideally they add something nice to the listening experience. Our brain is very adept at discerning the original signal from a reflection most of the time, so distortion in equipment will generally have a more damaging effect to our listening pleasure than a room reflection, although in some cases reflections can sound very bad and ruin the sound quality. Stereo imaging is already messed up in a simple 2 channel configuration due to immediate crosstalk from the speakers reaching both ears. This is probably why most people don't enjoy 2 channel audio in an anechoic space, while more channels with a good mix can sound very good. With just 2 channels it can be argued that we really need some appropriate reflections to smooth out the otherwise intense crosstalk comb filtering created when 2 channels are playing the same thing to create a center image. I can relate to rrm’s frustration and have had to strike a balance between imaging precision and a more enveloping and spacious experience. My speakers are fairly narrow in their dispersion above 600Hz and that makes for very little of the beyond the speaker experience, except with that Roger Waters stuff, and at least one Madonna album I heard. There’s more than just getting that effect though. Listening to a wider dispersion speaker with great off axis smoothness that my co-worker brought in to the office, I was beguiled by the life and vividness it added to have more early reflections informing my ears. Sounds seem to hang in the air around the speakers like halos. Honestly I don’t get the effect of live acoustic instruments ever doing that but I like it! It comes at the expense of a very shimmery high end that could get fatiguing, like looking at sparklers for too long. They’re pretty but they’ll burn a hole in your retina. Still, I’m tempted to re-do my mid and high horns for a bit wider dispersion to add a little zest.
