Can Any Bookshelf Speaker Be Used Nearfield?

ANY? If you can stand it at any distance at all. What constitutes Nearfield? I have a FEW pretty goofy setups..
The higher the E the more likely you'll pick up floor noise, so the closer you get the more likely you will hear it..

Regards..

Here ya go!
https://essentialhomestudio.com/what-are-near-field-studio-monitors/

http://www.cardas.com/room_setup_near_field.php

Somewhat full range, decent low bass that near?

Whatever you do, at any near distance, especially 'in your face' as yours will be, you need to first limit the amount of low bass the main speakers try to make, via a crossover. Add a self-powered sub, even a small one, for the lower bass. Single mono. Basically, some extension, unaware of it unless you turn it off. Get distorted bass out, especially when mains are 'in your face'.

For me, a true bookshelf speaker will fit on a 11-1/2" deep shelf, in a bookcase, hopefully at seated ear level (often horizontal is best). NO PORTS, Certainly not rear ports. How far apart? How close are you? I have a 6' triangle,

You will have a 40" triangle. Bookshelf is too big for that short distance.

At that distance, I would want tone controls, even better L-Pads. Individual driver volume adjustment after the crossover is better than tone curves prior to the crossover).

@yogiboy 

Great references. Really on point and informative.

I just picked up the Dali Spektor 1 for use as near-field computer speakers, driven by an Emotiva BasX-A100 with a Polk subwoofer.  Other speakers that are not really meant to be near-field do not present a coherent sound field when listened to close up.  So short answer, not every speaker can be near field.

Love my Q150's nearfield.  

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Xkt0U1rs6CCX8p_Ea04ucEVndtxqeEo0/view?usp=sharing

Thanks all.  Very helpful!

On my desk I have Monitor Audio 90 very happy with them.

I think Goodmans Maxim will work at that distance.
A really tiny two-way speaker from the revered British maker in the 1960s. Just 10.5 x 5.5 x 7.2 inches so leaves plenty of space for other stuff on your desk.

Great SQ but bass is reinforced by backing up against a wall rather than on a desk-top.

I've not looked at the references above, but the short answer is "no" if there are multiple drivers that need some distance to integrate. Concentric drivers are helpful if you'll be really near. Some desktop speakers disperse the directionality from the get-go to avoid the integration puzzle which can arise via various set ups.

If I was setting up a desktop system, I'd get small Harbeths.

yes, but your results may vary.  
if you want the best sound you will need coherence between drivers at close range and an ability to adjust / variably plug the bass ports to tailor the bass response.
The KEF LS50s work well because the drivers are near point source and about as coherent as possible (perfectly blended woofer and tweeter at short distances)  and they have a 3-way adjustable bass port to reduce the bass if the enclosure is too close to reflective surfaces.  

The Vandersteen VLR is made for desktop application!
https://www.vandersteen.com/categories/compact-speakers

I can highly recommend KEF LSX speakers for nearfield listening in a desktop application. The LSX are basically a mini version of the LS50 wireless speakers. They are active, powered speakers, with built in DAC and DSP.  All signals, including analog are processed in the digital domain (i.e. analog input goes through an adc (analog to digital conversion). It is very easy to use the KEF LSX control app to optimize the DSP parameters for desktop nearfield listening. I have both this system and my main rig up in Audiogon's Virtual Systems.  You can link to my desktop rig here:  https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/9168

Get something designed for nearfield you’ll get better sound at lower volume as well as ear bleeding volume. Neuman KH120 or Genelec 8030C are perfect for less than 2 meters. They have some basic EQ which will help with desk bounce and bass. 

Nearfield to me means limited bass but great Mids and uppers.
At a 2-5' distance.

Agreed?

Does that answer your question?

If you are asking for speaker suggestions, I would say the Rogers LS3/5a
$4.0 or you have the Gig Harbor Audio Bookshelves at $1.0. Below that it all a compromise.

The big problem here is using a desk for speaker stands.  Not only is that a reflective and vibrational nightmare but it also prevents you from moving the speakers around in the room for the best sound.  Use sturdy stands in front of the desk.  That way you can work with the room instead of accepting its problems. 

I have a few folks who are building nearfield desk systems that I am working with at the moment.  No, not all monitors make good near field monitors.  Any speaker where dispersion or reflections are required for image to come together are bad choices.  Raidho or Scansonic would be poor choices for a desktop application for this reason.  

You also want to account for your physical placement of the speaker.  If your desk is near wall, a rear ported monitor that needs lots of space behind is a poor choice.  Some work better than others with port bungs and you may be able to use/implement bass traps and other treatments to work around some of these issues. Secondarily, don't assume a front ported speaker or sealed speaker is automatically a solution.  

Finally, there are wonderful stands made for a desktop environment by IsoAcoustics.  They would be my first choice.  The key is getting the speaker up of the desk and getting that tweeter to ear level.  

Actually the term "nearfield" is all about room sound vs direct sound balance. If you have a set of speakers in a room and sit a few feet back from them, you get a mix of room (reflected sound) and speaker (direct sound). The further away in the sound field you sit from the speaker the higher the ratio of room sound vs speaker sound. If you have a small speaker in a far field set up, its awful cause its almost ALL "room sound (reflections)" which may or may not sound good. The closer you sit (nearfield) the less room you hear compared to direct sound from the speaker itself. Sit "nearfield " enough and you hear just the speaker, making the room differences negligible on your decisions.  Engineers starting hauling Auratones, then NS10s, then 1031's around to studios they worked in for this very reason: every studio and their "big" monitors in the wall sounded very different.  

Recording Engineers, who typically travel from room to room depending on work, used nearfields as a way to get similar sound in very different rooms by sitting very close to them, cutting the room [sound] out of the equation.

Brad

Thanks to everyone for the education!  My desk actually sits in the middle of the room, and there is about 6 feet between the back of the speakers and the wall.  Based on the discussion here, I'm leaning toward the Harbeth P3ESR.  Thanks again.