Bass Traps

OP, I also observed the same effect you had experience (lower sub output) and i think, based on what i saw on REW, the amount of low frequency reflections seems to drop with the bass traps installed. 

what i like most is that bass definition became clear and solid. (IMO)

I realize you have stated this, but if there is any way to get the Sound Blocks on the rear wall/corners try it. (I also have 4)

@bigwave1 +1 

@mashif  + 1

Mike

Bass traps are called that because they absorb some low frequency waves compared to thinner panels but below 80hz, not that much. So they are absorbing everything above including mids and highs. That makes the bass sound more prominent and even. Many people have their subs turned up too high to compensate for uneven levels and when you smooth it out, you hear more. 

You would probably benefit from having diffusion on the front wall behind the speakers. And follow the suggestions to use REW and look at some of GIKs videos. 

Acoustic Fields,

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QwgrJVLniLc

wait are you doing this blind without measurements? @mjjw 

This video is timely - Acoustic Treatment: The Strategy for Small Studios

Yes it is for studios but the general comments are very much what you need to get familiar with. But for the love of all things good, get a calibrated mic. This should do - miniDSP UMIK-2 - USB Reference Measurement Microphone

Also, please talk to GIK. Room treatment is a science and should be treated so.

Get those traps into the corners. As others have pointed out, you have shifted the response of the room now. It would help you to run REW and dial in your room using the graphical results.

I made a run once with REW moving the traps inside the front speakers (out of the corners) and it was as if I had not trapped at all. Moving them back into the corners restored the improved room response.

“Anyone know why I have more bass with the traps than without?”

You’re probably not getting more bass, you’re just getting better, cleaner bass. Without bass traps, low-frequency waves bounce around the room and interact with each other, often canceling out at certain points (called nulls). Bass traps absorb some of those reflections, which reduces cancellation, meaning you hear more of the bass that’s actually there. 

Bass traps help flatten peaks and nulls in the bass range. So while the biggest peaks may be reduced slightly, the valleys are raised giving the perception of more consistent and solid bass.  

Enjoy your new found musical bliss!

Couple of things.  One, taming a very live room by controlling mid and treble reflections makes the bass stand out more prominently, so this could just be mid/treble absorption.  Another thing that happens is that valleys are reduced... if you had set the bass level based on the "average" bass level then that just came up a great deal.

Usually we find the opposite is true though, usually some exaggerated room mode has so much output we have to reduce the subwoofer level, and then find when we've clipped those peaks we can now bring the sub level up and it sounds much more full and complete.

Because you were overcompensating due to lack of proper acoustical treatments.

One ting that comes to mind is that, because of the reduced reflections, you are able to hear music better and that is why you might have raised the volume? Also, are the GIK 244 directly behind your seating position? Can you try to move them to the side and then check what happens? I do not have the "Sound Blocks", but play with their placement as well. From experience I can say that placement of the panels makes a huge difference. For example, if I try to place a 244 pane on the second reflection point in my room, then it simply kills the musicality and makes it sound lifeless.

Best thing to do would be to check with GIK themselves.