Armoire between speakers

Have you considered putting a wooden base with wheel casters underneath your speaker stands. You can wheel your speakers into place when you wish to listen and then wheel the speakers back when you are finished.

Granted it is a bit of a diy project/ kluge, but our systems exist within the rest of our living space. I have never really had an ideal system set-up, mostly because of energetic cats prancing about, but I find that I can work around most things.

Rich

Sinner, Repent!
Seriously,
I have found over time that the less between the speakers,
(even going to a shorter equipment rack) the better.
You're just compromising the sound, now.

My panels are about 60"+ inside to inside and I sit about 11' away.
Sound improved a LOT when I removed a RPTV from between 'em. The set was probably about 6 cubic feet, which is pretty good sized.
I could imagine a big help from getting rid of a big blockage from between speakers.

I used to think you had to have that middle "free space" but I found it all depends on what type of speakers you use...I have the "fireplace in the middle" issue and having moved my current speakers (Silverline Preludes) all over the room I finally realized they're fine about 8 inches from the sides of the fireplace and protruding straight 4 or 5 inches out in front of it...nearly 2 feet from the front wall. Any reflections are completely a non issue, imaging is excellent, etc...I have a little REL sub behind one of the speakers taking full use of the bass reinforcement of the small corner. Plus, I can look at the propane fake fire while I listen. The listening sweet spot is on a couch 3 feet or so from the back wall and about 9 feet from the speaker baffles.

Too highly reflective. Get rid of it, then you can place speakers correctly. I am always struck on how people will comprise their sound with other furnishings in the listening room.