Speaker placement..

One method: divide the length of your room by odd numbers. This gives you different distances from the rear wall to place the FRONT of your speakers. The same thing applies to your listening position. If you're backed up against a wall, or otherwise sitting in a room node, the sound is going to be boomy and bad...no matter where you placed your speakers.

Another test is to stand at the back wall and slowly walk in to the room while you're talking. Listen to the quality of your voice. In some places it will sound chesty, boomy and unnatural. In other places it will sound more natural. Where it sounds most natural is a good location for the speakers (again, the front of the drivers). Hopefully, combining the measurement method with the talking method yields one or two possible locations.

Once you have determined a distance from the back wall, then place the speakers at a DIFFERENT distance from the side walls. Preferably at least three feet from the side walls to the centerline of the drivers. Once you get closer to the walls with the drivers, you get into trouble with bass enhancement.

Finally, play with toe-in. Start with the speakers aimed almost to the walls. It's exaggerated on purpose. Incrementally turn them toward the listening position, listening each time. By increments I mean an inch at a time (you can go a little farther at the beeginning where the speakers are clearly out of position). Keep turning them until they cross past the listening position. Again, this is going beyond for a purpose. Then, start rotating them back incrementally toward the walls. You will reach a point at which the image snaps into focus. You will likely have heard this during the first phase of the procedure, but this now confirms the placement.

This method has worked for me several times.

I cannot emphasize too strongly the importance of locating a good position for your listening chair. This is as important as speaker placement.

As I interpert what you are saying when you mention integrating bass and that the sound is flat unless you're right on the back wall is that you are complaining about (a lack of) the fullness of the bass, a sense of warmness. Might that be correct?

Assuming that it is have you been familarized yourself with set up procedures, such as talked about on the Rives site or have you looked up the 'Cardas System' for a good set up starting point (basically he suggests a speaker listening position triangulated, close to equal distance, and with the listening position as well as the speakers about 1/3d into the room. 1/4 might work as well, as a starting point. If you get a sound pressure level meter and a test disc with 1/3d octave pink noise you can measure (and chart) the frequency response of each set up until you get one that is a flat as you can.

This can be a long and tedious problem, very long! But its worth it. Toe in is not a frequency response issue - except proper toe in (including crossing the axis of the speaker in front of you) affects the high-frequency respons some and helps focus your sound stage more sharply.

If you want some specific advise you might describe your actual set up in your room now so folks can better appreciate exactly what recommendations might actually help you. Use exact measurements.

Check out http://www.realtraps.com/art_room-setup.htm

My room is 26' long and 16' wide. I have my speakers 70" into the room (measured to the back of the speaker), and about 7' 9" apart (measured center to center). I sit about 9.5 ft. away from them. To my ears, this is magic in my room.

Your biggst issue is going to be moving the speakers around until you get the smoothest tonal balance, exciting as few room modes as possible. But be sure as you are moving them around, you don't forget to move your listening chair as well. Experiment with moving speakers/chair at different distances, and not always exactly the same. Contrary to what most believe, this could take months to get right, but be patient. Your room is a good size and has good dimensions. If you have the luxury of placing you and the speakers wherever you like (i.e. a dedicated room), you should eventually end up with a sound you like. That is, if the speakers you have are really the ones you want.

Oz