Do room colors affect how we hear music?


Scientists studied how colors could impact how we hear music, and discovered that it can impact our perception of timbre and warmth.  Results were published in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America in February of this year.  Interestingly, experienced listeners appeared to sense they could detect differences in timbre to a greater degree than casual listeners.  There was no difference in perception of loudness.

This is another example of the amazing way our minds work.  Clearly, room color does not have any real impact on sound, but what we see affects what we think we hear, not unlike when we switch out equipment and accessories. 

karlss0n

Room color doesn’t matter if you close your eyes and just listen. 

Turning off one of your senses enhances the others. It’s nothing new hear [sic] 😏

@smodking1 

Who said anything about turning off senses?

The OP describes how one sense (color) might enhance another (timbral sensitivity).  

So, what’s the optimal color? Can one simply wear colored/shaded glasses?

Everything matters. Colors/tone, lighting, smell/scent affects mood and therefore how we perceive and enjoy music.