Rug Pads?
 

I just switched from a very high pile rug to a lower pile rug that wife liked. I need more absorption as this is a lively room?

Does anyone know if a thick rug pad would help or happen to know what material it should be made of?

Again, the goal is to deaden the room a bit. Wood floors.

Better late than never..

I used a Gorilla Grip felt pad w/rubber underside for wood floors under my area rug. It definitely added some thickness, which I'm assuming helped with sound absorption. I never tried just the rug alone. Got it off Amazon, 8x10 was $88 and Prime.

Jacob

A high pile rug is not acoustically transparent. Regardless what you place under it will not help one bit in absorption; YMMV.

I have also experimented extensively using large area rugs on top of existing carpet. There were no audible gains, re: additional absorbtion.

I think my rug helped more in the reflection area. It was all hardwood floor prior, now my rug butts up to my speakers, not as bright now, more mellow. Works for me.