The most often overlooked aspect of room design is the stuff you put in your room. You'll be shocked and dismayed at how much trouble you can cause yourself. But all is not lost, properly placed absorption treatments can make a major difference.

Sometimes equalizers are totally necessary, but in today’s world, with the technologies we have and the materials available to us, you might say a more holistic approach to getting your sound right is preferable to an approach that may introduce more harm to your sound than good.

In the next few weeks we’re going to explore the roles absorption and diffusion play when preparing a theater or listening room, and we’ll discuss what to do and what not to do. But before we get started, here’s a look at some important terms and definitions.

In a perfect world, my listening room would consist of a 2-channel monoblock system driving a pair of Blades, a $9000 turntable, an endless library of 192kHz/24-bit FLAC files, a chair with a cupholder, and proper acoustic treatments all around. I would lock the door from the inside and emerge only for more beef jerky and occasional visits with my family.

I don't live in a perfect world.