Numerous challenges arise from near-the-wall placement in a small room: Early reflections are inevitable, degrading the imaging and usually tonality (especially in the midrange and lower treble); room gain will boost the bass region more than the designer planned for; and bass modes are especially audible in small rooms.
In my opinion good radiation pattern control and speaker setup can minimize (but not entirely eliminate) the negative effects of early reflections. Adjustability in the bass region can be helpful as well. Ideally I'd want to use multiple asymmetrically distributed bass sources (several small subs scattered around the room) to smoothe out the bass, but that's usually only practical in a dedicated mancave.
The requirement for good radiation pattern control (which the Revolutions mentioned above offer; disclaimer: I'm a Gradient dealer) usually call for larger speakers than what one normally sees in a small room, but even though that's counter-intuitive when done right I believe it's the best solution. I have come to believe that good radiation pattern control becomes more and more important as the room size shrinks.
Duke
dealer/manufacturer
In my opinion good radiation pattern control and speaker setup can minimize (but not entirely eliminate) the negative effects of early reflections. Adjustability in the bass region can be helpful as well. Ideally I'd want to use multiple asymmetrically distributed bass sources (several small subs scattered around the room) to smoothe out the bass, but that's usually only practical in a dedicated mancave.
The requirement for good radiation pattern control (which the Revolutions mentioned above offer; disclaimer: I'm a Gradient dealer) usually call for larger speakers than what one normally sees in a small room, but even though that's counter-intuitive when done right I believe it's the best solution. I have come to believe that good radiation pattern control becomes more and more important as the room size shrinks.
Duke
dealer/manufacturer