Speakers need to be placed close to back wall. Help

@rustler, I think that's a WONDERFUL gift!!

Pardon me for muddying of the waters, you've probably already considered all of this, but just in case...

If either of them have any interest in our hobby, OR if either if them are good candidates for developing an interest in our hobby, you might want to involve them in the decision-making process, and you might all really enjoy it.  Sometimes The Quest is half the fun.

Now if neither of them are speaker hobbyists or are likely to become such, you might STILL want to involve them because how the speakers LOOK in their room may be their top priority.

Regardless of the details of how you proceed, I think such a gift is incredibly thoughtful and generous of you.  And personally I like the suggestion of the Larsens.

Duke

I have bought one stereo system as a gift for someone in 50 some odd years of life and only then because that is exactly what they requested as a gift. Unless this is something they have explicitly discussed getting, then it is a poor gift idea. That they listen to a wide variety of music is not a factor. Most people do, and they are quite happy with their non audiophile listening experience. Most would take convenience and matching their decor and feng shui over the best sound. Most considering something better sounding are far more likely to be interested in surround and a big TV to match.  I would rethink this idea unless this is something, exactly something, they have explicitly discussed having in the past.

Regarding the Jern cast-iron loudspeakers:

The castings are what’s known as "grey iron" which is incredibly inert, they are probably the most inert material that loudspeaker enclosures have ever been made from (and one of the heaviest, so we’re not going to see "normal sized" speakers with grey iron enclosures anytime soon). And THEN the enclosure has this rounded shape like two spheres of different sizes merging, which is GEOMETRICALLY incredibly rigid and ACOUSTICALLY very close to ideal (which just about nothing else approaches). None of this would matter if they didn’t sound excellent, and they DO. As a big speaker manufacturer and proponent I VERY SELDOM get excited about small speakers but I was extremely impressed by the Jerns which is why I stuck around to learn more about them when I first encountered them years ago.

No affiliation, just mad respect.  The Jern is a speaker which keeps me away from trying to build a competing small speaker because I don't think I could get as many things right as it does. 

Duke

@theaudioamp +1

A pair of Monitor Audio Bronze 50 on decent stands for under a grand would probably blow them away. What amp and source? Cables?