Where do I go from here?

A lot can be done with speaker placement and listening chair placement to improve sound such that room treatment need not be extensive and ugly.  What you should do may depend on any restrictions you have on such placement.  For example, if you are forced into a placement near the side walls, treatment of those walls may take more priority.  If you are going to be seated relatively close to the speakers, much of what you hear will be coming directly from your speakers and reflections off the walls, ceiling and floor become less of an issue.  Consider speaker choice in conjunction with you placement requirements.  For example, if the speakers must go in the corners, look for ones that work well there (e.g., Audio Note).

You should take advantage of the help the treatment product firms offer in planning your treatment.  Whatever they say, start slow and do your treatment in relatively small increments so you don’t overdue things and end up with a dead room.  I would start with non-treatments that are practical and decorative.  Bookshelves that you might need to hold books, records, whatever, do a good job of breaking up reflections off the wall.  Decorative tapestries do the same.  Artificial plants (this is a basement), such as ficus trees do a good job as room treatments.

There are way too many possibilities for speaker choices so I will limit my suggestion to mentioning Volti speakers; if you like the Heresy, you will probably like the Volti offerings and they are a substantial upgrade to that sound.

Speakers typically have the most influence on what you hear, as they're the interface for the room.  The room is there to stay, but acoustical treatment can have a significant impact, so is a good place to spend some research time, and experiment.  

Speakers are extremely personal (and room dependent), so I won't advise on specifics, but get something you love the sound of and that works well in your room, then use an amp or amps that are up to the task of driving them.  A good dealer will let you try them in your room, and some online places have good return policies.  Used is often a good way to get the most for your money if the right deal comes along, but home trials are more difficult with used, however there's typically less financial loss if you resell.  A good kit is another way to get superior performance per dollar spent, but resale is typically more difficult, as is in-home trial...great way to learn a lot. 

Another option is to update the crossovers in your Heresies.  Crite and others offer upgrades.  

IMO I would try to audition the new Heresy's-- if you love the sound, you might like the upgrade to the latest version.  And I have not heard the Eversolo A6, but from what I've read, you could probably do better for the same price.  GL!

Wow, thank you, each of you for the thoughtful suggestions and the encouragement. This forum is pretty cool.

@audiotroy I’m just not ready to consider a change from my preamp and feel like DAC technology advancements argue for a separate DAC for easier upgrades. I definitely know the A6 is a short term piece. And I’ll definitely upgrade the power conditioner.

@gkelly you’re right that the digital sourcing should take my attention before I pivot to vinyl. I have an AudioTechnica I can use until then anyway.

@grislybutter thanks, interesting database!

@2psyop yeah, I realize the Heresy pair is shabby chic and I need an upgrade. I’ll eventually move them to another room with my Marantz 19 and Denon DR-M30HX tape deck (and BlueSound Node). I’ll definitely take some time to do some listening to speakers before making the move.

@ghdprentice seriously, thanks for the encouragement and perspective. Great analogies too. ftr, I drive a Polestar2 and may step up to the Lucid next year. Wife drives an X5. But as you and others suggest, I need to really give my ears and spirit the time and experience of those different sound characteristics.

@kerrybh you echo ghdprentice, thanks. And yeah, I am going to take some time, and focus on the space. Appreciate learning from your experience.

@roadcykler thank you, that’s pretty much it. I have some nice vinyl, but I know I’ll listen more with an automatic. Per others’ advice, this won’t be a near term priority, but when I get a new TT, I am likely to go with that Dual CS 529, or perhaps something else if out there then.

@superblueapm and @hilde45 yep, you’re right. It’s time to work on the room, get it as good as I can and then pivot back. Gotta get rid of that ketchup!

@zlone thank you for mentioning AXPONA. It’s in Schaumberg this April and I intend to go! (I live in Chicago and have a second home in the Detroit suburbs where this listening room is.)

@larryi thanks. Yeah, I am doing a fair bit of reading and watching videos on treating rooms. I do have some positioning restrictions, but think I can work through them. I like the idea of "real life" treatments before "studio" treatments, so the room feels inviting. You and another mentioned Volti, so I’ll put them on the list for a listen somewhere.

@knotscott right, definitely a reinforced message here - when I do turn to speakers I need to take my time. I am looking at used equipment as much as new.

@fred60 I’ll have the opportunity to listen to the Heresy IVs at Abt here in the Chicago area, as well as the B&W 7 series I mentioned. And, yeah, the A6 is definitely just a placeholder device - but it’s a fun piece, I must say!

Again, thanks to all! I will come back to this post as things progress.

@mattsca 

A few months ago I set out on a similar quest. I even had similar equipment!  Because I had 601 s3s for 20 years, I really liked the idea of a used set of 805s. It was like I had B&W blinders on.  B&Ws are great, but it seems to be a truism that you might get a better speaker for your money if you throw your net wider.  

One reason you might consider speakers first hasn’t been mentioned. Different speakers do better with different choices of amps and preamps. I upgraded my amp first and could have saved myself some hassle if I chose my speakers first. 

I am stubborn as h€|| but once I threw off the blinders I ended up with used Vandersteen Quatros from a dealer I could trust.  If you decide you are curious about Vandersteen, I have found their owner forum extremely helpful. Richard Vandersteen is also available to give advice which was a nice surprise.

The choice of Vandersteens informed my other system choices considerably, and I ended up with an Ayre amp and preamps - KX-R pre and VX-5 Twenty amp. Used Ayre equipment was reachable for my budget and Ayre, like Vandersteen, is super customer service oriented.  Ayre takes in your equipment and will check everything and/or customize for a modest fee. I won’t pretend my path is for everyone, but it’s an example of how your path can change once you start considering other speakers.