You don't lack bass, you have too much treble

As usual many half truth by our friend:

Treating a room makes speakers sound smaller not bigger.

This is completely false except for those who had no idea what they acoustically do ...Room acoustics by the way is not only the use of passive materials on a few panels.  More active devices can be used as resonators;  and yes even materials treatment and especially active treatment with among others devices as Helmholtz resonators can make the acoustic recorded translation of any album bigger and more holographic in your room new fine tuned acoustic space ...

Subwoofers can make a system sound bigger [...]

The op is right here then mijostyn too ... 😊

I am a fanatic when it comes to measuring systems

Go only measuring gear with your other gear/tools  and room  ad infinitum till perfection ...😁 For us any measures set must be coupled to hearing/brain  experiment biological controls too ,  save inner ears measures and HTRF  tracking measures  the most important one anyway with the room geometry and size and acoustic content  ...

Interesting thread.

@erik_squires 

So I’m listening to Jazz @ 65-70 dbs and a trumpet pops in @80-85 dbs and it makes my ears hurt. The same can be said for Saxophone, electric guitars and some female singers.  I currently have 6 absorption panels and furniture and CD racks for dispersion. Carpeted floor and a lot of soft things in my room.

I have tried 2 preamps(both tube hybrid), two sets of mono blocks (both sets are tube hybrid) and a Hegel H390 (that is on the warmer side) and I’m still getting that sharpness above @80dbs. My streamer is still the modded BS Node N130, going to the Denifrips Pontus ll and the speakers are still the KEF Reference 5’s.

Any thoughts?

@curiousjim You may have the speakers toed in too much. Many speakers are really designed for little to no toe-in, so the slightly off-axis response is a lot smoother.

Another thing to try is the floor behind and in the floor between speakers. Bare surfaces there can often result in a lot of hash. Also, most underestimate the benefit that treating the ceiling between speaker and listener.

Lastly, check the wall behind your head.  Try absorption or dispersion there as well.

Hi @erik_squires 

Thanks for the reply.

The speakers have maybe 1° of toe-in. I will make it zero.  The floor behind them is carpeted, but I will definitely try more absorption behind them. Behind me is almost no wall at al. There are two door size walkways and a pass through from the kitchen.

And,  I doubt very seriously that the wife will let me put any treatments on the ceiling, but I can always ask. 😁