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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
audioconnection
1,270 posts
 
We have successfully installed many pairs of the Vandersteen
Quatros and 5As within inches of the front wall.
they both offer a built in room compensation feature that has working placement even 4 inches out with excellent measured in room response.
I work at a Vandersteen dealer as well.
Best John
philefreak
423 posts
 
I'm surprised at the respones saying you'll be fine. Fact is all speakers (exceptions Klispch korner horn)will do better at least 30" from the front wall and sides or corners.
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.
hchilcoat
152 posts
 
Should distance of speaker from wall behind be measured as distance from back of speakers (more relevant for rear ported designs??) or front of speakers (for front ported or sealed designs??)?
shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,467 posts
 
Great advice here from Duke - I'd also suggest dispersive acoustic panels on side walls at first reflection points if they are bare - you can have some made to suit whatever the wife wants - from family photos to artwork to even being creative, such as small 3" deep display shelves of different lengths to hold knick knacks. It doesn't have to be an ugly RPG skyline professional panel to make an improvement...just remember to keep edges broken up - no solid single unbroken harsh corner edges and the more variety the better. The idea is to reduce the energy of the first reflection to 10 db lower than the primary signal - this will really improve imaging at the listening position.

Wood products can be made to look nice - Wood diffuser/absorber
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