Which TOWERs work well CLOSE to the BACK WALL?


I have a budget of $10k to $25k and am looking for speakers that perform well when they are placed close (say 6 inches away) from the back wall.

Also, thoughts on which speakers to avoid.

I am looking at REVEL and B&W, but am willing to consider others (maybe Thiel, McIntosh, Martin Logan, ?).

Someone noted that I should avoid any rear facing ports. True?

Other considerations are that the fairly large hexagonal room has lots of glass.

In terms of music, we enjoy all sorts of rock, blues, and guitar of all types. Finally voice clarity, cymbals and high treble are important.

Thanks
jimmymac928

The rear port avoid the rear wall is a fallacy.

The port is a pressure relief system that allows part of the bass wave to evacuate from the cabinet, allowing for greater efficiency which are the Thiele and Small parameters for building a ported loudspeaker.

The total bass output of a loudspeakers takes into consideration all of the acoutcial output of a loudspeaker, placing any loudspeaker closer to a rear wall will increase the way the loudspeaker couples with the room and increase bass output which will directly affect the speakers perceived tonal balance.

A loudspeaker's bass output whether it is a front or rear ported loudspeaker makes overall very little real difference, the combined output of the loudspeaker, the placement in the room and the room's overall acoustics are what matter.

Also a port can be partially blocked which will change the speakers loading.

So I would look at any speaker which accomplishes what you want, you will need to work with any high end loudspeaker no matter what in order to get the loudspeakers to perform.

This will include Shatki, Acoustic System Resonators or similar devices and possibly tube traps.
Gradient, some Linns, if in a corner, some Klipschs. . Some of these might only be available used and perhaps for a lot less money. I'd be cautious of using most panel speakers with rear output. Not so sure about your room, lots of glass is usually bad, the atypical hexagonal shape might or might not help, it depends on the dimensional ratios and ultimate size/distance. The Martin Logans and Thiels wouldn't appear to be able to perform their best in your unusual environment. I'm not so sure about the others your considering.
The Vandersteen Quatro is the one speaker that can be custom dialed in to most any room only an inch out from the wall
In fact if they are too far out into the room their mids and lower bass can get thin.
Cheers JohnnyR
Vandersteen dealer
I think the Von Schweikert VR-33's are designed for this purpose if I am not mistaken!