I was thinking of using diffusive elements on the "live end" of my room. I also want to try them just to see what happens. Most of the "fancy" dedicated listening rooms have a high degree of diffusion. I'm not sure if that's because it costs a lot, so people think it works, or whether it really does work. Plus, the Handbook of Acoustics has an entire chapter about diffusion and seems to regard it highly. As expensive (and large -- if you want to go lower in frequency) as many of these diffusive elements are, I won't be ordering too many of them!
The "methods" of attack to be able to truly hear what is on a recording are quite varied.
I like to think my approach is logical and effective for my listening preferences, but arguments can be foisted against it.
The biggest "enemy" of hearing what is on the recording is the excess "sonic energy" that has not been used (by your ears) and continues on its own journey and ends up returning to "affect" the direct sonic energy, as well as be "reheard" after the fact, when you want the signal to the ear/brain to remain as pure as possible.
The second biggest enemy is an "Acoustics Expert" who is well regarded, and has lost the forest, for the trees.
Acoustics is a HUGE science and the goals are vast and many.
The concept of "Diffusing" sonic energy was NOT employed to assist a reproduction room more accurate.
It was employed to reduce broad wave front energy back into the room. This is for venues like, clubs, classrooms, and churches, where it is valuable to have "high dispersion" of direct sound to cover the whole space, and reduce the broad wave rebound energy effect through diffusion.
Diffused sound is loved by some, since it basically in it's ultimate form will be "white noise". That is, all frequencies will be represented and it will sound like "steam" escaping.
Since it is generally dissipating it is valued as "AIR". That is, it simply sounds like the "room". You walk into a room and your ears hear the room.
Just consider walking in an open field on a still summers night, then in a deep a huge cave, and then in a bare 15 x 15 x 8 room. All three of those environments will have a different "sound", based on how the room/environment sends sound back to you.
The problem with "treating" a room to "have a sound" is that the sound, (even if it is the white noise of diffusion) is not in the recording.
Not only that, but it will "mask" and "distort" the most subtle and delicate of details so that they cannot be heard.
So, the option of absorbing vs diffusing will depend on how much detail and accuracy you wish to hear from the recording.
And there will be those who argue that a "recording engineer" masters a recording in a "certain" type of room and that is true.
But, even so, that does not mean that you cannot hear details in a recording that the engineer doesn't hear. Basically they are looking for various balances, and dynamics.
Anyhow, not to discourage you from diffusion, but it pales to aborption when searching for an accurate signal transfer to the ear/brain.
But that is just my opinion
