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Can quality sound be had using the short axis in a medium sized room (12X15) ??

I have read and was told that short axis speaker set-up will not as a rule produce good sound. Supposedly there are too many anomalies in this type of set-up, mainly the listener will be at a shorter distance to the speaker plane and midpoint between the speakers

Realistically, I have about 13 ft of usable long wall to the corner   Placing speakers on the long wall axis to my seated listening position  is approximately 7.5 ft  allowing speakers to be placed NO MORE than 14 inches (or less) from  the back of the wall. 

Also are there speakers (either floorstanders) or monitors) that can produce quality sound that close to the back wall.

Advice and recommendations will be great appreciated


Thank you,  S.J.  

sunnyjim
edcyn
1,876 posts
 
Don't be afraid to experiment.  Keep an open mind and an open set of ears, but don't forget the details.  Where are the electrical outlets?  Sometimes you got to be willing to haul your Mt. Everest of LPs to a different wall. Sometimes the floor gets scuffed, too.
sunnyjim OP
927 posts
 

Thank you to those members who responded so far.

To br3098.  Yes, I did mean long wall placement. Your comments are very useful I have auditioned the Larsen 4.2 which sounded very good. Reps and shop owner claim the Larsen 6.2's  provide much more of the sound provided by the 4.2's Therefore better (??). They seem reluctant to show or stock the 6.2 which they claim achieves much better sound because of the use of Wilson Audio woofer and a Scan speak tweeter, or its equivalent, and a much better crossover

The price of the Larsen 4.2  is $2200; the 6.2 is $4300. The build quality of 4.2 is average, despite a true "organic" rendering of the music and stunning bass response for their size. Like other European brands they seem overpriced for what you get.    Larsen 8.2 at $7500  seems to be the one the company  and/or dealers want to showcase and sell; maybe because the 9 is $15,000.  Like some buyers, this kind of dough is not just laying around on my kitchen table or stashed away in a large sugar bowl. 


I am surprised what you noted about the Magneplanars; I repeatedly have read and was told they need to be placed almost in the middle of the room to achieve good and balanced sound; and, placement is finicky and troublesome. I am in the process of downsizing  and want to reclaim some of living room space.  I am aware that both Maggie .7 and LRS and  the excellent reviews they have received. 

Thank you all.

S.J.

sunnyjim OP
927 posts
 

To "unsound" and "twoleftears" 

Thank you for tips.  I do have enough space behind my head for  some acoustical padding. It is a 36"L X 24" throw type rug that I use in my current set-up. I am not sure it will help with Maggies, that is, the .7 speakers.


Thank you,

S..J.


 .

noromance's avatar
noromance
9,731 posts
 
@sunnyjim You probably know this already but don't use acoustic foam. I learned from my mistake. It sounds bad.
unsound
7,329 posts
 
The closer your head is to the wall, the more important the absorbing treatment becomes. Acoustical foam can work quite well, if it's overlapped with something like natural wool. This can have decorative advantages as well.
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