"but they would appear to be rather sensitive to placement; especially toe-in."
@jdmccall, the opposite is true = correct.
From Hsu Specification:
"Frequency Response: 50 - 20 kHz +/- 2 dB, flattest at 15 degrees off
axis(designed for listening at 15 degrees off axis, speaker axes to cross
in front of listener)."
And Placement (manual):
"Toe in the CCB-8s The CCB-8s are designed to be toed in so you sit 15 degrees off axis. i.e., cross the axis of the coaxial drivers about a foot or two in front of you. This gives the most stable imaging and the widest sweet spot. The frequency response is also designed to be smoothest at 15 degrees off axis."
See the Review by Doug Blackburn (scroll down)!
"The CCB-8s also do something I don’t encounter very often. The center image remains centered when your listening position is well to the left or right of center. Last time I heard this effect, it came from a very expensive pair of German MBL Radialstrahler loudspeakers that featured three omni-directional drivers."
My Mains are designed in a similar fashion.
Now I have to try this for myself.
The Manual describes a sound recommendation for Placement with Seven feet from the rear wall.
The alternative is against the wall (as close as possible) with an absorber panel fitted behind the enclosure.