Does having an object inbetween the speakers bad?

I would have to agree with others as I have an audio rack (3.1/2' tall), a TV and TV stand and couple of plants between my speakers. It will likely be a weak link in your system or speaker placement. Have you tried repostioning your speakers? I played with my speaker placement for days (if not weeks) before I got it right. Now I have good depth & hieght with reasonable width. Your room is going to play a big part in soundstaging as well, I know mine does.
Good luck.

1. Room acoustics.
2. Speaker placement.
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N. Corrupting object in the center comes lower on the list but higher than cables or swapping DACs.

Kal

Ditto Kal. Your room can play a huge role.

The best rule-of-thumb is to ensure your rack's highest component is lower than the midrange driver of your speakers.

Adhering to this general rule should not affect soundstaging. Even if your rack is a bit higher, my hunch is you will still hear no difference.

For starters, trying bringing the speakers further out into the room so that there is at least 5 or 6 ft between the front face of the speaker cabinet and the wall behind the speakers.

-IMO

Thanks . i know I've got to move the TV(sony wega 40 inch) but it weighs over 300 pounds and I am in no shape to budge it.