Bookshelf Speakers that have to be up against the wall

Sjofn “the clue” speakers are made to be against the wall and use the room to augment the sound.  Due to this, the bass that comes out of them almost defies belief.  Heard them at a couple shows and everyone was in disbelief at what they were hearing.  For $2000 you could get a stacked pair.  Best of luck. 

I second the Vandy VLR's.
I have them near the corners of my office ceiling- kind of a nearfield listening position- and they have a decent bass reproduction. Though I supplement them with a pair of HSU subs. I once played them without the subs and was impressed by how low they can go.
Bob

   You've had some pretty good suggestions here. Speaker placement is paramount to making speakers sound as good as they are capable. Sounds like you are restricted to placing the speakers so close to the wall. "Bookshelf" speakers that are rear ported usually have that feature to enhance bass. To calm that interaction with room boundaries (walls etc.) some have plugged the rear ports to minimize close wall reflections. Of course that minimizes the bass response the speaker was designed for. Some add a sub to compensate for the loss in bass.

   You didn't mention the particular speakers you have? Adding sound absorbing material to the back wall or plugging the rear ports of the speaker may or may not improve your sound. You probably want to explore all options before shopping for new speakers. If you must place the speakers so close to the rear wall, shop for ones that are not rear ported.

Note the comment about how some speakers are "voiced" for near wall placement. Anyone can "voice" a speaker to not sound as bad near a wall. All this means is the frequency response is tailored so the speaker actually needs to be placed near a wall to sound best- in terms of frequency response.

But the OP specifically said "they lost most of their imaging." Well, of course they did! Anything else would defy the laws of physics. No amount of speaker design, no "voice" can change the fact the sound coming off the speaker hitting a flat surface so near by is gonna ruin the imaging. Cabinet, bookshelf, wall, does not matter. All the same as far as the soundwave goes. 

Things that will help - increasing the distance by any amount whatsoever, either by pulling the speaker out, or moving things away sideways; absorptive material, ideally something like Owens Corning fiberglass panel (any size, whatever you can get away with) but even something like soft fabric will help; staggering whatever you can, think books pulled out/pushed in different amounts. 

Really good imaging requires speakers being placed about 3 feet away because reflected sounds arriving within about a 3 to 5 millisecond window affect our ability to localize, and sound travels about one foot per millisecond. So anything you can do to eliminate or attenuate reflections within the first few feet of the speaker will have an inordinate effect on imaging.

 

    millercarbon is completely correct! All of those things suggested should be investigated. BUT!!!!!....Are you completely locked in to the placement of your speakers? If so, your options are limited. Even if you replace your existing speakers, the new ones will also offer a challenge as to their placement.

   It all comes down to what you perceive as acceptable sound for you. Your sound "theater" should be what you accept as ideal with what you expect. I still haven't heard what speakers you are now using? Not that it matters so much but it gives a hint as to how improvements may be accomplished.