I find this whole discussion and topic frustrating. I've been trying for many years to get as good a sound as possible in my small room (15 sqm). To do this, I have bought the best (neutral) speakers I could afford, bought and tried almost all hardware and software DSPs and EQ solutions available (Antimode, Dirac, REW+EQAPO, Neumann.control, Neumann MA1, RME ADI-2 DAC), bought and compared various room acoustics panels, bought 2 PSI AVAAs, bought 2 subwoofers, I have bought surround speakers and upmixing software and spent endless hours tinkering around. Toole's book is in my nightstand next to my bed, but honestly although it is interesting it hasn't helped me much on a practical level (it's not just there, I've read it too).
As a result I have a dead room and in the end I am still not satisfied with the result. It's alright and honestly (sadly) I've never heard better sound anywhere. But I'm never really thrilled, but still hear deficits practically all the time (unsatisfying bass, unstable stereo image und things like that).
But: Even if I tried it with less treatment, it was never better, but always (even) worse. Just now I also tried again to do without the side panels, but that is simply counterproductive - the stereo image becomes more imprecise than before.
Of course, it could be that this is all psychology or that stereo simply doesn't work any better. Maybe I should have hired a professional from the beginning.
But in the end, I've almost reached the point where I think 1) that it's just never going to be really good in a 15sqm room and 2) that as a user I'm left alone with the subject of room acoustics and there's no really useful help - depending on where you read and who you ask, you read and hear contradictions everywhere, there seems to be zero consensus. Probably the last thing i´m gonna try is the
Sirrah by RTFS, but i am not sure if i really want to do that or if I should just give up before I do.
When I see rooms like Amir's or Mr. Toole's, I think: Yes, in such a large room everything probably sounds great.