New Amp Dictates New Speaker Placement?

Yes, a new amp can make a change in the speaker location beneficial. HOWEVER, before you start playing "Waltzing Matilda" with those big boxes (I realize its relatively cheap and easy to do, but it can be frustrating as well) think about the possibility that your notice of some localization of sound may be due to the amp, or more probably the tubes you are using, than the amp/speaker interface/location.

FWIW, I went thru this with my Tylers - I was getting some piano notes, along with other instruments such as the clarinet, sticking out like sore thumbs in the upper mid range. A very narrow range. Initially I thought it was the Tylers, then I blamed the amps, ultimately what I discovered was that the utilization of KT88's in that particular amp (not in my other amps though) that was causing the problem. Put in 6550's and the problem went away. This also applies to small tubes as well. Now if you have changed your input tubes and no matter what kind you use it still is a problem then it might be your speaker location. Might be. But I'd be more willing to bet it was a speaker/amp interface problem than anything else. JMHO. Hope you can work it out.

Ah, a different issue than your initial post suggested when 'your friend could localize sound from the drivers', usually a problem associated with speaker design.

If anything is 'wrong' and you're not just obsessing, I would suggest that it might me due to the, for lack of a better phrase, the density of the information, between your new amp and the amps you are accusomed to. I would suggest you could do things to resolve your problem (much as Jaybo suggested). First I would play with toe in a bit thinking that perhaps that the previous amp(s)were a bit different in the highs and getting the right high frequency info would get you a unified soundstage, or if that doesn't work, 2)close the spread of your speakers a few inches. Just a thought! Oh, if that doesn't work you can go back to some really basic things like reversing channels to see if it the recordings or playback components, and even moving your listening chair a few inches left or right, etc.

At the risk of being offensive (and I'm always ready to risk that :-)) I bet you are too influenced by your friends observation and have become obsessive, but have fun, thats what this is all about. Been there, done that!

Tvad, Lets get that angst level a bit higher!

In my room, my speakers/listening position is triangulated at about 9 1/2ft and the speakers totally disappear, I don't need to get any closer to replicate a nearfield experience. Man you've got to work on that room!

:-)