Open Floor Plan Listening Room

But what if it does? The description seems to be exactly a null, which could indeed be the case if the listening position is halfway the length of the room. But it could be that the louder bass elsewhere is actually a peak. So as I said at the beginning, measurement should come first. The only investment is that of a $75 calibrated measurement microphone.

You need an additional opinion like a hole in the head but I have exactly the opposite problem. My audio room is really confined (8-1/2 x 12-1/2) and uses not only room treatment but multi band equalizers to null out or correct (mostly) bass... so count your blessings! I’d trade in a minute if I could.

The problem with movable walls is that they tend to resonate more than fixed ones that can be re-fortified for rigidity. Back in the day I had my share of planar speakers (Magnepans, Quads, etc.), all crying for more bass. My suggestion along with others here is a subwoofer but without any ports (or block the port) and a very low crossover point, judiciously used and keep your room open. Good luck with your choice!

Thanks for the advice Andy!  I feel better about the open space than I used to.

Ahh the memories...20 years ago I entered this hobby diving in with a Cat pre-amp and Krell 300 monoblocks driving Apogee Duetta's.  In a wide open Split atrium house where the listening room extended to the roofline and two rooms back I had an indoor mini-theatre with a refined high-end audiophile sound system.  Even 2 large Muse model 18 subwoofers didn't fix the basic dilemma of the Duetta's reserved bass or give that real-world dynamic punch that I wanted for some music some of the time. Nothing would or could solve it, even after moving 4 times to 4 homes and other listening rooms when compared other dynamic speakers substituted into the system. 

Subs helped a lot in the lower extremes but not higher up and did not mimic a full range dynamic speaker and the solid punch you get all the way through the upper bass and midrange.  Yet 20 years and 4 homes later I still have the Duetta's and since parting with the CAT preamp and Krell monoblocks am using Jadis Defy monoblocks to easily drive either the Apogee Duetta's or Martin Logan Quest Z.  The ML Quest hybrid really showed me how reserved the Duetta bass is as far as real world impact, that you feel and taste.  The Duetta can put out some volume of bass that is controlled, tight and can measure, but it will never be visceral and never touched the way it is with dynamic speakers.   But time after time, year after year, floor plan after floor plan I have always turned back to tubes and either panels or stats, whatever their limitations may be.  The musical magic that comes out of those continues to be priceless and irreplaceable and not for trade. Subs have often helped fill in with many rooms but do not replace or turn the Duetta's massive woofer ribbon into a dynamic driver.  But that's ok, put on some female vocal and you'll forget all the discussion and worry.  I'm moving soon again, but  I'll will still look for an open floor plan  and of course am keeping my planars. The joy that comes out of those components has far exceeded the perfect audiophile setup I could never achieve after so many years and dollars later. 

This is an important reminder that no domestic space will ever give you the acoustics to mimic a concert hall. It will always be too small, limiting the dynamic range that can be reproduced, and creating havoc at lower frequencies. A good postage stamp image of reality is the best we can hope for, and all the more so with large scale dynamic music like a symphony orchestra. Here, the real thing will always remain better.