Vandersteen 7 and room treatment

Now you guys have done it. Almost all are guilty. I see you on the Vandersteen forum, encouraging me to take a peek and I’m up til 3:30 am. I love the passion, humor, and style many of you share. The critical observations and advice have deepened my anticipation. It’s fun being an old man this excited about something other than my grandkids.I first heard Vandersteen model 2’s fresh out of the box in 1977. Couldn’t afford them at $900 on a social worker’s salary. Finally purchased a used  pair of 2 CE‘s in 2000. Owned them for many years before acquiring the Chapmans, who know they are probably going to be replaced and are sounding spectacular with some recent system and placement changes. The months-long factory renovation in 2021 had already elevated their performance and my pleasure to unprecedented heights. 
I believe I’m going to remove all 14 traps and panels and engage in a long process of multi-factor trials, beginning by the book. I better pick up some furniture slides. No idea what I’ll do if I end up with a bunch of no longer needed panels.  I know I’m not going to be able to just plunk the 7’s down and sit and listen for the rest of my life. A luxury dilemma 

Personally I would start with all the panels in place, as you already know the room.
Then remove panels one by one.

Measurements with REW might be able to show a time domain comb, and keeping the early reflections low is usually better for imaging.

Whatever method you use will be a lot of trial and error, or trial and measurements along with listening.

It could make a good study though.

If it were me, I would remove all the panels and treatment and place the speakers in the listening position to determine what sounds best and then measure after that if you can.  Add the panels back in slowly.  I have become a fan of diffusion rather than absorption since it's been mentioned that you can kill the room when it gets too dead.

So what did I do? Nothing. The Supratek Cortese LCR arrived. It made the Chapmans sound so spectacular that the Vandersteen’s are still sitting on their pallets upstairs for the second week. Maybe later this week.