Lots of bass at walls, lack of bass in center of room/listening position

Hi OP:

Use the tools you have. Move the speakers back to see if you can find a better bass balance. Next, see the tooth like ridges in the high frequency? That’s evidence of regular reflections, possibly even slap echoes.

Yes, diffusion is a great idea, but at $400, I suggest you call GIK Acoustics and see what they could do in your budget. I mean, I am sure these are find diffusors, but for maybe a little more you might be able to get a lot more room treatment from GIK. They have an online service where you can send them pictures and room measurements. I strongly suggest you take advantage of it.

So, this is the order I recommend you work:

1. Main speaker placement
2. Room treatment
3. EQ
4. Subwoofer

For 3, the Schiit Loki ($149) may be just perfect. Only after you have sorted this out should you spend too much time attempting to integrate your sub.  I can't tell you how much more important 2 is going to be though. 

Again, what speakers are you using though?  This may provide clues.

Best,

E

It would be great though if I could solve this without subs. I wonder if bass traps would allow me to turn my subs up more while still retaining cleaner bass.

So here's how that works. In order to get even bass the conventional way you have to turn the subs up loud enough to bring the drop-offs up to where they sound good. This means having way too much energy at other frequencies. So you try and damp that out with traps.  

But the traps and loud spots are only in certain places, while the excess energy is everywhere in the room. This physical energy excites the walls, the whole room, and physically dissipates over time. Its the dissipation of this energy that smears and muddies bass response. There really is nothing you can do about it. More and more traps leads to more and more EQ and you just never get enough. 

What's funny is everyone knows the last thing you want is to have an overdamped room. A certain amount of acoustic reverb is nice and helps create a sense of spaciousness. Too dead and the room sounds... dead. Yet that is exactly what a lot of these bass trap people are having you do, only with bass instead of midrange and treble. So you don't notice it when you walk in the room the way you would with panels all over the walls that kill the sound. But its the same thing, only lower in frequency. 

You don't need 12" or 14" subs. Those are for when you haven't figured out the answer is more subs and still think its more sub. That "s" makes all the difference in the world. You can easily use 10" subs. I have four of em. Its not how big. Its how many. And where. Dispersed asymmetrically around the room. 

This will cost less, take up less space, and work better than all other options. I really cannot think of a single objection, other than the mental effort required of any new idea.

How are you all connecting multiple subs to your electronics?

Hi OP,

Here's my blog on how well a 2-way can function in a small room, with room treatment.

https://speakermakersjourney.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-snr-1-room-response-and-roon.html

Best,

E

Your room is absolutly unique regarding the positioning and integration of a subwoofer/s. Other people's dimensions and locations, even if they're identical or similar, will require a great deal of trial and mostly error.

If you locate a sub at the listening position by using long enough interconnects (Monoprice or Bluejeans Cable) and an extension power cord while playing low frequency tone/s will allow you to walk (or crawl) around your room and map out YOUR rooms modes and nulls. This test tone download should be useful https://realtraps.com/test-cd.htm

This method is simple and need only be done one time. Once you've mapped YOUR room you can experiment by placing your sub/s at or very near the mode (louder bass) areas.

I found multiple subwoofers evened out my rooms modes. Controlling the subwoofers frequency response is a product of equalization and room treatment (Eric's blog). No amount of subwoofers can control frequency. While using four large subs I found equalization absolutly made such a desirable improvement I found two small subs to be sufficient. Then again, along with personal taste every room is unique. 
This is well worth the effort good luck with it.