@erik_squires Morning. Thanks again for things to try. I'll look more into the "gated measurements" method. I'll also look into OmniMic. REW is really incredibly powerful program (free even!), and I think can be used even at a very surface level to help gain some objective info. In my system/room at home REW helped me figure out exactly what frequencies were making bass boom, which helped me make some parametric EQ changes. If you get time you should give it a look.
Father is SUPER sensitive to bass, so for him little bass is perfectly ok to him.There is no way he will move his speakers (he can be, 'intractable'? about some things). As we discussed, big goal is getting rid of the room echo/delay/reverb to a more moderate-mild level. Like you noted, that alone will bring up the level or presence of existing bass.
AM Acoustics Room Mode Simulator: I meant to say thanks for this!!! I had found that awhile ago and forgot about it and where to find it!! This is super helpful!
@mijostyn I think if I can get him to do even moderate absorbing panels, it will make sizeable improvements that he will like. I think the space COULD be perfect/exemplary and world class acoustically, but like we all know do we want to go thru the effort labor and expense? In his space, it wouldn't take much really since there is no bass management issues (other than the lack of it!!!! :D )
But maybe I can talk him into a subwoofer at some point! But these things take careful progress. I think as we get older in ways we can become sort of set and resistant to things....even if we heard a difference, and even if that difference were 'objectively better'.
And Erik is 100% correct about the bass coming out-- in putting absorbing panels directly inline with the face of the speakers and in-between, (so imagine 2, 2x4 insulation panels on chairs right and left of each speaker, and 4 of them in the 7' space between the speakers again 'in line' with the face of the speaker), you can easily hear a LOT fuller tone and sound, "as if you did an EQ boost in bass frequencies"......however, get this.....in doing a REW frequency sweep at the seated position, there was NO change in bass room frequency response! Yet, you can easily hear maybe 15% more "bass"!!
-----"Also, we want the room to interact a little. Diffuse sounds with a steady decay are really important to avoid a headphone-like experience and give us the illusions of the listening venue."--- as Erik notes here, the above treatment I did in fact created a bit of this effect: it was JARRING (in context)! I played a familiar track for him and removed the panels fast, and you can hear almost a pressure decrease in your ears.
I think with how much I would bet my father would actually agree to do acoustic treatment wise, he would correct 30-40% of the room echo reverb, and gain maybe 20% more mid bass presence.