Thanks all for the very thoughtful feedback. Based on all of your feedback, here’s my plan:
- Get a huge thick area rug to go under the stereo and LP. Thick rug pad under (maybe mass-loaded vinyl?).
- Decouple the speakers with Isoacoustic Gaia’s (which I already have). I’ll set these on granite slabs that I’ll have cut. The Townshend stuff looks great but by some reports performs about the same as the Gaia’s. (I will also inquire about Acoustic Field’s carbon platforms which look cool if heavy and pricey).
- I’ll use equalization to roll off the low end on the digital sources, especially TV and movies. I can do this in Roon for my music and will get something like a Dirac or one of those Behringer’s mastering EQs for the TV. Analog will not have this but hopefully that’ll be ok.
- I'll continue to use the port plugs that Egglestonworks provided me.
- Will introduce myself to the neighbors and give them my contact info (but won’t mention the speakers) and just establish myself as responsive, reasonable and approachable.
- I’ll set it up as a pretty tight setup - not near field per se but 6-8’ triangle in the room
- Will use high-temp silicon caulk to seal up any holes around the radiator.
- I already have two large and two small bass traps, as well as 6 or 8 acoustic panels. Not sure where I’ll place these but they’ll be in the room someplace. Theoretically I could add a couple more large traps preventatively, the high ceilings mean I could stack them 3-high in the corner nearest to the speakers.
- I’ll continue to listen at 60-65dB or less
Will try with the Kivas to start. Should the speakers end up being a problem, I will then consider Magnepans or a large pair of bookshelves with limited LF.