i have a separate 2-channel listening room. it has hardwood floors in the front third (1st 9.75 feet of a 29 foot length) of the room, thick carpet is on the rear 2/3rd's of the room. all the wall surfaces are diffusive, which eliminates beaming but does not reduce energy. it's not an accident that it resembles a concert hall with an audience. the hardwood is like a stage and the carpet is like an audience. the goal is to retain energy and allow it to bloom and decay naturally. how you treat a 2-channel room also has lots to do with size. smaller rooms still need some absorbtion to control refective energy or you can overdrive the room easily.
i also have a separate home theatre. there i use absorbtion and it does have carpet over the whole room floor. in a 7.1 theatre you are trying to reduce reflection so the 7 different sets of speakers have minimal interaction with each other. if the room is too reflective it will be very slappy as you raise the volume and you won't get much detail. decay of notes is secondary and is recreated thru the surround sound and not the room itself.
when one combines 2-channel with 7.1 home theatre compromises must be made as to what priorities are.
i also have a separate home theatre. there i use absorbtion and it does have carpet over the whole room floor. in a 7.1 theatre you are trying to reduce reflection so the 7 different sets of speakers have minimal interaction with each other. if the room is too reflective it will be very slappy as you raise the volume and you won't get much detail. decay of notes is secondary and is recreated thru the surround sound and not the room itself.
when one combines 2-channel with 7.1 home theatre compromises must be made as to what priorities are.