My friends here are spot on.
Get that end table out of the equation, right speaker on the floor.
Min. 12-18" standoff distance from the front wall.
If you can, shoot for at least 24" from the side wall.
Distance between speakers, on center should be 6' absolute minimum.
Wider is preferred.
Some will say your LP needs to be the same distance as you have between speakers, forming an equilateral triangle. I have also seen arguments that you should sit slightly further away from your speakers than the distance between, forming and Isosceles Triangle.
Your LP should be several feet in front of the back wall. Sitting against the back wall is an acoustic problem
(Keep in mind, we all have limitations in our rooms and have to work with what we have. That said, there are basic set up goals that you should strive to achieve. Just what has been discussed is pretty basic.)
To take it to the next level, with free options:
Toe in. Experiment with angling the speakers to different degrees. Right now, you have them perpendicular, which can be fin, but usually this works best with speakers having Wide Horizontal Dispersion characteristics.
Klipsch, with their Horns, are called Controlled Directivity. Well designed Horn Loaded Speakers will controll how the soundwave emanates from the driver, thus how the wavefront then interacts with the room.
Things to try:
Angle the speakers in slightly so you can see less of the inner sides of the speaker. Ideally, in this situation, you will not aim the speakers directly at you, rather beyond and behind you such that if using a laser pointer the beam would intersect anywhere from 1-5' behind you. The distance at which they intersect changes the geometry and the degree of Axis with which you are being exposed to that Controlled Directivity wavefront. When you see recommendations to sit, say, 15º Off-Axis, this is what is meant.
You can also do what is called Time Intensity Trading. This is more extreme Toe-In where the imaginary beam of the Speaker's direct axis would intersect 1' or more in front of you. You would still therefore be Off-Axis, but the way the Wave Fronts interact with the room is significantly changed.
It is said that with Controlled Directivity Speakers, you can create a very detailed, deep and wide Soundstage using this technique.
How it will work in your room, I cannot say. but experimenting is FREE!
A decent quality Subwoofer will take some of the lower efficiency Low Frequencies away from your mains, allowing them to use that energy where it matters most, in the Mid and High end. This is Dialog clarity in movies, and detail in music. Crossing your speakers roughly at 80-100 Hz, depending on the range the Subwoofer can handle is a good first step.
I agree, whatever that little sound bar is, it is likely hurting your SQ. Lose it. If you want to add a true center channel, that is up to you. If you choose to, I would recommend planning ahead for your upgrades.
To that note, better front speakers will give you that more 'alive' feeling you mentioned. You don't have to spend $10K on Speakers, but depending on what you want and like, an upgrade for your Front 3 will likely cost ~$1500 if you want it to be more than a lateral move.
This is a lot to digest, and I saw your new photo above! good work.
One quick suggestion: get that end table out of there. In it's current location it is adding Diffraction to the sound coming from that Front Right Speaker. Whether it is audible?... is something that can be argued by those that care to.
That said, if you want to give yourself a fighting chance , that is a change I would make.
Hope this helps!
