1) Use "selective hearing" to focus on the direct sound of the speakers to the greatest extent possible. Ignore the impact of the room. Evaluate speakers only on your perception of the sounds they actually make.
2) Evaluate the speakers on the sum total of sounds that you perceive: direct, and indirect (reflected). Don't try to filter out "noise" stimulus from the room.
Personally, I think I've always used selective hearing to concentrate on the direct sound from speakers whether evaluating them, or just listening to them. Recently I started pretending I was actually listening to weightless headphones instead of speakers. It's a different perspective for me. I attribute every perceptible sound to them: no spatial filtering.
So how do you listen, and how do you evaluate, and do you think it makes any real difference?
2) Evaluate the speakers on the sum total of sounds that you perceive: direct, and indirect (reflected). Don't try to filter out "noise" stimulus from the room.
Personally, I think I've always used selective hearing to concentrate on the direct sound from speakers whether evaluating them, or just listening to them. Recently I started pretending I was actually listening to weightless headphones instead of speakers. It's a different perspective for me. I attribute every perceptible sound to them: no spatial filtering.
So how do you listen, and how do you evaluate, and do you think it makes any real difference?