I can prove your room is bad

Here’s an interesting perspective from acoustician Matt Poes, who does room design and installs acoustic treatments for home audio and professional studios and venues:

"A speaker that has controlled dispersion does basically the same thing you’d expect an acoustic panel to do, but it does a better job.”

Interesting coming from an expert in the field whose commercial interest is in acoustic panel sales, but not in  speaker sales.  [Disclaimer: I have a commercial interest in speaker sales.] 

Duke

@erik_squires ,.....That and driver integrations, or perhaps more accurately the lack there of.

"A speaker that has controlled dispersion does basically the same thing you’d expect an acoustic panel to do, but it does a better job.”

Absolutely true.  The more controlled, the less treatment.  This is why ESL's can rock this test. 

should have included dipoles in general

This method does not demonstrate a need for you to improve the room. You pass.

FWIW, I've used the Classic Audio T-3s in a variety of rooms and I can safely say that in all of them- and without treatment of any kind- the speaker has *always* sounded better at the listening chair than from 2 feet or the like.

The YT link I posted hints at a possible reason why- the speaker's total room energy is such that it will do well regardless of the room. I'm just pointing out that this aspect really needs attention- if as Dr. Toole is saying is true, then a lot of speakers need work in this area, as in many systems I've heard the speaker does sound better close up than further away where the total room energy is more of an influence. Dr. Toole points out that the on axis response might be great, but the room energy being off will cause the system to be less than it could (IOW, cause it to suck).