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Do any speakers image/sound-stage close to walls?

I'm about to spend a huge amount of $$ on full-range speakers, but realise from all the published acoustical data and conventional wisdom, that the laws of physics are absolute. So, in a 17 X 23 X 15ft ceilinged room, when I have to place the speakers no more than 12" from the front (short) wall, 2 ft from the side walls (for WAF and furniture and structural reasons - dont ask,) am I blowing my money? The source, preamp, amps are all superb - but what do I do about finding speakers to match? Sure, I could buy a superb $19K SP Tech Revelation or Zu Definition or Coincident Total Reference, but what about the sound-staging and imaging? Surely I'm not the only person with this dilemma, yet there are so few posts on A'gon regarding this issue, that I wonder whether the problem is exaggerated in my mind or is it just that most A'goners are smarter than I and designed their wives' furniture choices better?:) Room treatments dont help much, or do they? Is there any solution, other than moving the whole sytem to a wifeless room? Please dont ask why these space restrictions apply - believe me, they do, and the interior decorating details are not relevant here.
System: EMM CDSD, DCC2, Sota Cosmos IV, Ear 324 Phono Preamp, Atma-Sphere MP-1, Atma-Sphere MA 2.2, PAD Dominus S/C, etc.
springbok10

Showing 2 responses by reelsmith

reelsmith
40 posts
 
You don't necessarily have to follow all of the rules. I have a pair of Aerial 10Ts ...they are not supposed to be close to the back wall or side walls.

Due to circumstances which I'd imagine are much like yours, the rear of my Aerials are just 12" from the back wall. The left speaker is 3' from a side wall and the right speaker is 12' from a side wall. Between the speakers is a large wall unit, which the speakers are very close to.

Because of the layout of the room I am forced to listen in the near field (speakers 8' apart and I am 8' back).

The sound is wonderful. There is good depth, there is pinpoint imaging, there is a good sense of space, the bass is tight and deep, there are layers upon layers of character and detail.

Could it sound better? Of course. Does it sound good enough? You bet.

This is not a plug for Aerials, just a suggestion that when you go listen to speakers, have them put in a situation that as closely approximates yours as possible.

Good luck.
reelsmith
40 posts
 
I readily admit my Aerials "will do better" further away from the wall. But, the fact is, they sound great close to the wall.

A speaker does not have to be specifically designed to work close to a wall in order to do so. Some speakers are simply less affected by close boundaries than others, regardless of their design intent.

K-horns certainly work great in corners ...but what if you are not a fan of horns?

There are lots of options and all it takes is experimentation.
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