foiled again...

The 5.3s are excellent and do require some space behind them to let the ports breath. For that purpose, 2 feet should do but more is better for the imaging in the rest of the audible range.

I also love the TacT but it cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear and tranform a mediocre speaker. I've tried.

You can plug the rear ports of the 5.3s with some foam or tube socks if need be--it can solve the problem(if there is one in your room) and it doesn't change the character of the speaker(I have done this with my 5.3s to great effect). In many rooms the 5.3 does fine 2ft. from the back wall without plugging the ports, but you always have the option. If you like them I wouldn't give up on them because of this--you should at least try them at home as it may not be an issue at all. Best of luck.

Tim

Gunbunny,
You may have lost sight of the forest for the trees. You mention your TV sitting out about 2 feet - if that is a hulking RPTV monolith, that sitting in between the speakers is doing a lot more damage to your soundstage than whether you can get the speakers an extra foot out from the wall. Almost any speaker sounds better (depth of soundstage particularly) a considerable distance out from the wall (on the order of a third of the way into the room). I don't think there really is any significant boundary effect for the port at 2 feet away from the wall. Some towers with side firing woofers (like the NHT 2.9 and 3.3) are designed to be close to the wall. This is for bass response - they still create a better stage moved out. You say you can audition in home - move them in a variety of positions and see if any are unacceptable to you. Can you also take a pair of different design home for comparison?

A TV 2 ft. from the wall? and speakers 22 in. from wall?
DAH? Not good in my opinion. Others may comment.

let's see if I can more clearly illustrate my living room floor plan. The room is 17x18 with another room opening up that makes it about 17x30, except for a 5ft wide wall in the middle.

Right now the TV is backed into a corner, but when I get new speakers I plan to put it against the 17ft wall which all windows by the way. This cuts down on glare. The TV is a Toshiba 57HX81 widescreen RPTV. Yes, it's big. Also on that wall is a 2.5ft wide audio rack that will stay there unless I want to buy all new video cables, and I don't. So I would estimate the speakers would be about 10ft apart and about 10ft from the couch. The screen of the TV is about 2ft from the wall, maybe a few inches more when backed all the way to the wall.

Keep in mind that is my current residence. Won't always be the case so my set up needs to be versatile. I have about $7000 of new furniture in the room. I would have to leave before my fiance' let me do me anything with that.