Speakers recommendations when placement is an issue

While I agree with Whatjd that Vandy speakers are good, I find they are quite placement sensitive and would not want them 1-2 feet from the back wall--they'd lose much of their magic.

The only speakers I'm aware of that I'd care to mention or that are made to sit near or against the back wall are from Spendor, Audio Note, and possibly Osbourne? I've only heard them at shows but they sounded pretty good considering their placement. Although I'm not a fan of their speakers, I've seen some Linn speakers used to good effect from that distance to the back wall as well. Best of luck.

Tim

Talon Audio speakers are designed for real world listening spaces and they are OUTSTANDING performers (at least in my experience with the Peregrines) ... defintely worth a look if they are in your budget. I never thought I could have my system successfully integrate with my living room until I tried the Peregrines.

http://www.talonaudio.com/

I'm not quite sure I understand all of the limitations of your setup, so this recommendation may be qualified. The Wisdom Audio M 50's like the above Bohlender's are a true line source speaker. The dispersion patterns are radically different than dynamic drivers. Although your setup will compromise imaging somewhat I think the dispersion characteristics of a line source would serve you better. I own Avalon Radian HC's and Wisdom Audio M 75s. With the Avalons I needed a full complement of ASC tube traps and wall treatments. With the Wisdoms I only need two tube traps in the rear. The electronic crossover gives you almost unlimited flexibility to fine tune the speaker to the room. The M 50 is a one piece design which uses a 50" magnetic planar driver sitting atop a 12" underhung woofer. I like this speaker line so much I became a dealer. If you've got the bucks this is a phenomenal speaker. The other good thing about this speaker is that it is so revealing and transparent that every improvement in the rest of your system will be apparent. The down side of the speaker is that it is expensive and it must be biamped. Fortunately though you don't need a ridiculously expensive amp on the bottom, just one with high current capability. Happy hunting.

Tim/Soix makes a good point about the Vandersteen's. I have
been a dipole person, Martin Logan & Magnepan..and have,
mostly used Thiel's for dynamic speakers...and all of these
are very placement critical...so the Vandersteen's seemed
simple by comparison..so, guess it is like the great Jazz
standard says..."Compared to What?"

I want to thank everyone for their helpful and insightful feedback. I was thinking of a starting budget of around $5,000 so I have some options to check out. Any thought on on Energy Veritas 2.8 in a limited placement setup? How about Martin Logan or Sonus Faber? Thanks again!