Ed and JTinn, look up the wave length of a 20hz bass note.. I think you will find that the effect of trying to reproduce low end notes in a small space is to fall off the propagation of the wave of the note. This is akin to the effect that one hears when you are several feet away from the car with booming subwoofers...you can hear and feel the note far more in fact than the driver of the offending vehicle.
Additionally, you are artificially damping the wave from the speaker with your couch, thereby altering the note and probably diminishing it as well. Which all leads me to my conclusion as to why Ed has been so unhappy with his bottom end reproduction... Frankly, I am amazed that he is pleased now! I wander if you had a more appropriate sized speaker on stands that could span the couch height what you would think then!
Additionally, you are artificially damping the wave from the speaker with your couch, thereby altering the note and probably diminishing it as well. Which all leads me to my conclusion as to why Ed has been so unhappy with his bottom end reproduction... Frankly, I am amazed that he is pleased now! I wander if you had a more appropriate sized speaker on stands that could span the couch height what you would think then!