[abomwell]

Is there an ideal reverberation time (Rt-60) for Spatial Audio speakers? My room measures close to 500ms which sounds good to me.  I don't believe I'd want it any deader.

[Tangram]

Great question, for which I have no answer but I am sure some will. I think it comes down to personal taste. What I am more interested in is the RECORDED reverb, especially on older one-take jazz recordings. If that sound right, then your room reverb is probably fine. Many of us overdamp our rooms when we go down the room acoustics rabbit hole. Hearing recording reverb that is “just right” is as food an indication that your room is damped “just right”.

[dallaire1]

I think 500ms is just fine. The ultimate goal is getting the frequency decay spectrum to be uniform top to bottom which in a domestic listening space is almost impossible in the lower frequencies without DSP or a small array of "active" electronic  bass traps or perhaps lots of active carbon technology diaphragmatic absorption strategically placed.

Just my 2cents

[abomwell]

I think the down and dirty answer is that if the room is comfortable for conversation it's likely good for audio. Linkwitz recommended not going below 500ms for his open baffle Orion's, saying the room should not sound like a stuffed pillow.

[dallaire1]

Absolutely, he is a pioneering legend to say the very least. I have read that 500ms for music listening space and 300ms for dedicated home theater. I built a dedicated home theater room about 10 years ago totally treated, 300ms decay time for the most part. The room sounded great with movie, horrible with music. It is very easy to go too far with absorption and take the life out of the room. I am aiming for a 500ms decay rate across the board as best I can at lower frequencies. I'm going to try the "live end", "dead end" approach. Using almost full diffusion on the front wall with the exception of the full height corner passive bass traps. Diffusion clouds on the ceiling. I am on the fence about using abbfusors style QRD's or standard QRD's on the ceiling ? I need to take some energy off the ceiling for sure and back scatter it downward, I think the abbfusors would be ideal for this.