When soundwaves meet softer, more porous surfaces, like foam or fabric, the sound is absorbed. If you’ve ever stood atop the Grand Canyon, yelled at the top of your lungs, then heard a clear resounding reply, that’s a perfect demonstration of these conditions. It also requires the presence of hard surfaces to allow soundwaves to bounce off more effectively. Software-Related Echo Problems on a PC or MacĪn echo is a delayed repetition of a sound that occurs when sound travels from a source, bounces off a surface, and is reflected back to that source.Īn echo requires space to be perceived clearly – at least 50 feet of distance between the sound source and a surface.Hardware-Related Echo Problems on a PC or Mac.