I’m quite aware of what negative effects occur with the rack in the middle, between the speakers. Unfortunately I suspect,It is the single biggest killer of sound staging and depth perspective, it makes a hiend sound into midfi, because there's no artist to place and see with your eyes.
like myself, most don’t have the space or the the means to place it off to the side.
If you can't go to the side, maybe the behind you, or as I did in one place that allowed it, the next room.
Cheers George