I have been trying to improve the sound of my system (AVA electronics and Salk "Heil Heavens"), and I've come to the conclusion that I have a problem with room resonance. The system is set up in a finished attic (aka a "bonus room"). The floor is not particularly stiff, and the carpet is really basic. But now that the kids are out of the house, it's my turn to get the play room, and I intend to use it.
At low volumes, I have no problems. At higher volumes, the floor seems to resonate and you can hear the bass everywhere in the house. I was thinking that I might need to find a way to isolate or decouple the speakers from the floor to reduce the transmission of vibrations. Some people love this idea. Others think it is a bunch of baloney.
Possible solutions on the low end include several products from Herbie's Audio Lab. They look promising to me, are reasonably priced, and have a money back guarantee. On the other end, I've seen some outrageously expensive contraptions for spring loading and magnetic levitation that might cost more than the speakers themselves. I've also seen all kinds of home remedies, including concrete slabs from the local Home Depot (with or without some supplemental dampening layer), partially inflated tire inner tubes, marbles, and tennis balls cut in half.
I know I'm not the only one with this kind of problem, so I'm hoping to learn from your experience what works and what doesn't. What's the best way to deal with an overly active floor? (And replacing the subfloor would exceed the limits of my otherwise very tolerant wife.) For what it's worth, I have two Soffit Traps, two Monster Bass Traps, some diffusers and several smaller acoustic panels, all from GIK Acoustics. I can shift them around a dozen different ways, and I can't measure (or hear) any meaningful difference using REW with a calibrated mic or a handheld Phonic PAA2. That also makes me think that I haven't gotten to the root of the problem which is why I'm now focusing on the floor and decoupling.
Thanks in advance. Looking forward to your suggestions.
Steve