I have tried moving my equipment to the side several times. I find the loss due to the longer ICs (balanced and single) makes that setup no good for me. So I always end up with my stuff between my speakers. I suppose it is a trade-off one way or the other.
Lower is definitely another option and one that I hope to explore soon. I'm planning on taking at least a foot out of the height of my stands and maybe spreading things out. Much like Stringgreen's amp, but with all of the rest of the sources close by. Short ICs and short speaker cables seem to work best for me and I realize not every one shares my preferences. Still, it is another option to try and get the best of both concepts.
Lower is definitely another option and one that I hope to explore soon. I'm planning on taking at least a foot out of the height of my stands and maybe spreading things out. Much like Stringgreen's amp, but with all of the rest of the sources close by. Short ICs and short speaker cables seem to work best for me and I realize not every one shares my preferences. Still, it is another option to try and get the best of both concepts.