Yeah Exit, treatments are key to taming "slap echo".
You know, nearly all, if not all, concert halls I've been to have the best acoustics in the back.
That being said, I don't design my HT that way. I try to get it immersive as possible, even if I am held back by some compromises.
Then again, I do find that the recording itself might make me feel that I was either closer to them, or further away. Eve more than the setup itself, but that's just my impression.