I once attended a meeting in an empty town hall for a public inquiry. Nobody could hear any speakers so the whole meeting moved out to a courtroom at the side because it was impossible to hear what was being said, even for normally hearing folks out in that acoustically reverberant environment.

Some rooms in smallish houses sound like being inside a biscuit tin, just through the design being focused too strongly on materials at the expense of what it’s like to live inside.
One of the worst spaces for acoustics is a cube. You can’t improve it unless you enlarge the room and soften the walls. A bit of a tall order if you’ll pardon the pun.

Interesting comment about tinnitus in the replies here. I have no faith that lots of Architects would consider this aspect of design unless they are already attuned to being mindful of the needs of people who need to hear things in bad acoustic spaces. I’ve met several Architects whose work has left spaces impossible to hear people unless you stand within two feet of them.

Also I’ve known Architects who don’t know anything about the needs of acoustical considerations and some can even make an indoor room of a small house sound like being inside a biscuit tin, just through being focused too strongly on the design and materials at the expense of what it’s like to live inside.
So much depends on the shape and the materials. One of the worst spaces for acoustics is a cube.
Many living rooms are cubic in dimension and you can’t really improve it unless you enlarge the room and soften the walls. A bit of a tall order if you’ll pardon the pun.