This is a question related to acoustics. A simple explanation of what this term refers to would be much appreciated.
Sound reflects off of walls and scatters in a variety of ways. You generally want to avoid this taking measurements as you are interested in the source, not the surroundings. This is why test chambers that are used for acoustic testing are covered in sound absorbing foam.
A quick Google search reveals a good number of pages on proximity effects as they affect home stereo equipment. Is this what you are asking about?
Thanks, flight. It was actually a work-related enquiry. The boffiins had come up with this phrase for a document we’re drafting, and as is my custom I wanted to know a little about what it meant before okaying it.
It is a pretty complex topic, and even though I am writing a dissertation on acoustics I still don’t use it a lot. In fact, most people who encounter it are only concerned with how to get rid of the damn effect. If you walk into an acoustically treated test section it is just eerie. Sound just dies. Can be very expensive to do it right though.