Hi Cam,

There are likely reflections from that sofa but not enough to degrade the imaging. The material looks like leather, which would reflect more than cloth upholstery, but the main contributors in terms of room reflections will still be the walls and surfaces adjacent to the speaker(s).

It's generally desirable to have some first reflections to increase the sense of openness and spaciousness of the front left/right soundstage unless you're trying to engineer an acoustically dead studio control-room environment, which isn't a pleasant listening experience.

The goal is a mix of reflective and absorbent surfaces in the room, and most home living spaces achieve that through normal furnishings. Extreme taste in decor or design can certainly work against pleasing sound reproduction.

Cheers,
Alan


Alan Lofft,
Axiom Resident Expert (Retired)