Room Too Dead

While selecting materials to construct DIY absorbing panels, I found that Knauf (insulation) listed specs on the amount and main frequency of absorption for their products.  I selected the right product to tame about 90-100 hz and covered with a gauzy, decorative fabric.  .  So yes, insulation can absorb lows if it's what the sound reflects from.  Poly vs paper vs no batting made differences in the specs.  Might look that up, compare to what  you're using.  The vapor barrier makes it tougher to predict though..  

I had he same problem as you for years, room is a converted loft over a bungalow. 20' x 20' with no hard surfaces. Sound insulated, thick rubber backed carpet tiles, lots of soft surfaces and no brick walls. It was a really dead space. It all changed for me when I bought my Kef Ref 5 speakers. I think the way the UniQ tweeter distributes a wide dispersion has definitely improved the sound. That forced an upgrade on other equipment and now the quality of the system really does benefit from a dead quiet room. I wouldn't change it. My friends have the opposite problem, trying to dampen down rooms that are far too lively. This is a bigger problem I think. Persevere with your room, when you get it right you will love it. Check out the pics of my room if you like, I don't know how to post an image here - Audiogon don't make that easy!

      When I was researching a Home Theater room, I seam to recall an article about how 2 channel listening is more dependent on a balance bawneen reflections and damping whereas an ideal theater room would be very 'dead'. I believe the concept behind this was largely based on a multi-channel setup. Once you get into 5.1, 5.2.1, or 7.2.1, reflections are more likely to confuse the imaging. For 2 channel systems the soundstage, as you are experiencing, is dependent on the right amount of the right reflections. .

     That being said,. I agree with others that pipe and drape may be affecting some mid / high frequencies, but you generally need to get int 4" or 6" rockwool before you start dampening the lower frequencies. It could be that these lower frequencies are passing through the drape, the vapor barrier, and getting nulled by the exposed insulation. If you can get some 1/4" Masonite, cut it up into squares, and start moving it around - hanging from the pipes and attached to sections on the studs, and measuring the results - that would be one approach. My 5.2.1 system and my large 2 channel system live in the same space (the horror). I elected to treat it for 2 channel and ignore the 5.2.1 since that's how I use it 98% of the time. 

@OP. You need to measure the room. An excessively absorptive  room can result in some fairly serious frequency response anomalies. Its more likely to cause suckouts - but the absence of one frequency can seem like an excess of another. A set of test tones and an SPL meter will tell you a lot.

I selected the right product to tame about 90-100 hz and covered with a gauzy, decorative fabric.  .  So yes, insulation can absorb lows if it's what the sound reflects from. 

That’s just mid bass and not what I’d consider “lows.”  The worst bass issues typically occur well below 90Hz — think bass guitar, drums, cello, tuba, lower piano registers, etc.  Around 100Hz you’re looking at things like the lower regions of the electric guitar, tenor sax, male vocals, etc. that don’t tend to cause major issues in most rooms.  Absorptive panels can’t do anything to deal with the lower bass issues that frequently plague listening rooms.