The way a room sounds and feels depends a lot on the specific acoustic properties of the materials in the room — for instance, a concert hall’s acoustics are set up for natural reverberation that will enhance the orchestra’s music. Now, consider how listening to the same orchestra inside a high school gymnasium. Will listeners say they enjoyed the music in the gymnasium as much as the concert hall? Probably not.

Every venue has its own unique sound signature, something called an “acoustic profile.” Some rooms, like concert halls, are specifically designed for their acoustic qualities, but a vast majority of rooms are designed with only aesthetics and function in mind, not acoustics.