I don’t even know if there’s a perceptible difference, but conversationally, if my partner talks quietly, or if I don’t hear so well, am I likely to hear her better with my back to the wall and her facing me, or vice versa? Brick or glass?
How about, say, just sitting closer to them?
no help
Is sitting closer not practical? Does your companion or you smell?
I’d go with my back to the wall. That way, your partner is blocking some of the sound behind her and there’s nothing behind you to distract you. If you have the room behind you then it’s competing with her for your hearing.
Is this effect at all compensated by the fact that back to the wall means ears open to the sound?
Only if your ears are so big that the act of leaning your head against the wall causes them to physically bend toward your companion…or you could just move closer to them and achieve the same thing.
no help
I think your biggest improvement is likely to be sitting as far as possible from the loud people. As far as the other variables are concerned I would suggest simply testing them, but your results are likely to be changed by where the sound is coming from.
Hereis a good article that caught my attention in the NY Times.