One embodiment of the invention includes a processing subsystem (30) responsive to the detection of sound coming from a room (26) to establish an acoustic impulse response for the room (26), and determine a number of sound reflections corresponding to the impulse response. This subsystem (30) is further operable to determine volume of the room (26), one or more dimensions of the room (26) and/or at least one absorption coefficient of a room boundary as a function of the sound reflections.