[Rafal]

HI All,

Do you know of any high end bookshelf speakers that work well placed right agains the back wall? I am moving and may not have a room for my Von Schweikert VR2s. My wife told me that things have to look neat so I likely will have to get a sub+Sat set up with the bookshelf speakers placed on actual bookshelves. I don't mind DIY either if you have some suggestions in that area.

Thanks in advance for your help

Cheers,

Rafal

[ted_b]

Guru speakers are specifically designed that way.  I heard them at RMAF and they were quite special.
http://www.sjofnhifi.com/products.html

Of course, our own Bob Smith and his SP Tech speakers (especially the Minis) would work fine that way too, being that they are front ported.  I think he even has a thread about this.  I'll search (Sp Tech forum).  I am a bit partial; I absolutely love my SP Tech speakers. 

This was a thread about his huge Revelations (the ones I own) and a problematic corner placement
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=53283.msg476060#msg476060

[jmc207]

North Creek Music Systems has several bookshelf specific and one near wall tower speakers available in kit form.
http://northcreekmusic.com/ The Kitty Kat bookshelf is the best for that application.

Pre-made complete versions are available from his other site: http://www.northacoustics.com/

[rodge827]

Rafal,

Give Louis at Omega a call. The Super 6 can be stand or bookshelf mounted.

He can custom build you a pair with the port in front for shelf mounting.

Adding a Deep Hemp sub is a great idea also .

Rodge

http://www.omegaloudspeakers.com/

[Quiet Earth]

It would be a shame if you didn't take your speakers with you and place them smack up against the rear wall. Think about it :

1. The foot print of your speaker is about the same as a bookshelf speaker on a stand. You don't gain any floorspace by changing speakers.
2. If you buy "bookshelf" speakers, you will eventually agonize over getting a sub. You know you will. Now you've created more complexities with your system and you are taking up even more floorspace by adding a third speaker. (Or fourth!)
3. Your speakers are ported in the front. You should be able to get them right up against the back wall without issue.
4. There is no rule that says putting your speakers up against the back wall creates bad sound. Just lot's of popularity using the Cardas method, etc. to get that holographic sound stage thing going on. You might actually prefer the way speakers pressurize the room from the rear wall compared to the anemic weight of instruments floating in space. You won't know until you try. Why not give it a shot?
5. You're moving, so you have way too much other stuff going on. Try all this when you get settled into your new place. Live with it for a while, then decide.

Good luck with your move!
QE

[lonewolfny42]

Of course, our own Bob Smith and his SP Tech speakers (especially the Minis) would work fine that way too, being that they are front ported. 

Ted....the Minis are rear ported....but they would work OK close to a wall.

You might also check out Green Mountain Audio...the Europa's...front port...good sound...better have a strong bookshelf...their heavy....

[ted_b]

Of course, our own Bob Smith and his SP Tech speakers (especially the Minis) would work fine that way too, being that they are front ported. 

Ted....the Minis are rear ported....but they would work OK close to a wall.

You might also check out Green Mountain Audio...the Europa's...front port...good sound...better have a strong bookshelf...their heavy....

  Duh.  Thanks Chris; was thinking my Revs when I typed this.  The smaller SP Techs are rear ported but work very well close to a wall.

[Wayner]

I have heard these speakers and they are for real. They are smallish and happier than a clam right up against the wall. Power handling is awesome, too.

http://www.natesaudio.com/nahome.html

Wayner

[Wind Chaser]

Ted....the Minis are rear ported....but they would work OK close to a wall.

Yep, heard the rear ported ones 5 days ago up against the wall spread 3' apart angled in at 45 degrees.  Not ideal, but didn't sound too bad either.  Under those circumstances you might want to try this...

[Stu Pitt]

Naim Speakers work very well against the wall.  The N-Sat is a great speaker, and their only current monitor.  Not sure how they would sound on an actual bookshelf though.  They make an interesting stand for them, and I think they also make a wall bracket too.  Naim isn't to everyone's taste though.  Especially their speakers.  People either love 'em or hate 'em.

Focal's Chorus 700 series are front ported and sound excellent to my ears.  They work very well close to a wall.  Haven't heard them on a shelf though.

[JackD201]

The LSA1 monitors work well against the rear wall. I use my pair perhaps 4 to 6 inches from the rear wall. I found the key is to match them with low to mid power amplifiers. In my case an ASL 300B integrated. I have severe space constraints in my bedroom and so far this was the best combination I could come up with in 10 years.

[Russell Dawkins]

here's a recommendation out of left field: http://tinyurl.com/5h7ylg

10 x 15 x 11.4 HWD and has a bass EQ switch specifically for wall mounting, as well as any other kind of acoustic space.

Only problem is, they deny you the fun of amp and speaker cable matching, so you are reduced to listening to music for entertainment. 

Only flat to 40 Hz, though, so you can get some audiophile kicks in looking for a nice sub system, but only for 50Hz on down! The bass that is there is oh so sweet, and much more revealing than most.

A little pricey at $4500/pr, but you did say high end, and they come tri-amplified with 150W, 65W and 65 W.

K+H have been doing studio monitors since the second world war and were the world's first AFAIK with self powered studio monitors - in 1967 - with the active/passive 3 way model "OY" which sold from 1967-87.

[Rafal]

Thanks All for your suggestions! Keep them coming!

Quiet Earth, I agree that I'd love to stay with the current speakers but the place I'm moving to already has shelves and I have a feeling that my wife will insist that I put the speakers on those shelves. I know it's far from ideal scenario.

rodge827, I have thought of single driver speakers like omegas. I even thought of making nice sealed satelites using Jordan 92 drivers and a sub.  It may end up less expensive than the Omegas and I've wanted to try the Jordan drives for a while now.

JackD201, are the LSA1s at all related to, now discontinued, Von Schweikert 1 bookshelves? They look similar except for the curved cabinets. If I can't use my floorstanders, I will likely relegate my VR2s to my HT setup and I'll then need corresponding rear channels.

Russell Dawkins, I have a lot of expierience with active studio monitors. I used to use Active Tannoy 800A for years. I now have a nice McAlister tube amp and even though I totally agree with the benefits of the Active setup, I would not mind still utilizing my amp.

What do you guys think of Linn stand mount speakers? I have heard somwhere that they work well close to the wall. I'm also eyeing Harbeths but I'm not sure if they would be suitable.

Cheers,

Rafal

[JackD201]

Hi Rafal,

They are related in a way. They are uncannily similar down to the aperiodic ports aren't they?

On the sound, I have had VR-1s, LSA1s and just recently moved to LSA1 Statements in the bedroom. They sound very similar to each other I would say. The LSA1s are just a bit warmer where the VR-1s were a bit quicker. Both give out prodigious bass away from the walls for little guys hence my move to low powered amps since too much juice tended to bloat them up configured as such. I figured I'd let the inductors do their job while boundary reinforcement did its job too. I'm happy with the results and my REL Quake just sits there unused.

On timbre matching for HT, I've used an LCR-15 with LSA2 Towers and likewise, the results were quite seamless. I figure if they can match up front that the less critical rears should definitely not be a problem. The only problem might be aesthetics. LSAs only come in Cherry or Black Ash so if your VR-2s aren't cherry you might get stuck with black. They do have on-wall speakers too in case you want THX type placement.

I hope this helps   

Jack

[Russell Dawkins]

Placing a nearly-full-range speaker at the wall incurs a large bass boost that the speaker either has to be designed for (in other words, designed only for wall mounting) or has to be compensated for, and this can only be accomplished with rather serious EQ in the bass end.

The 0300 linked to has a switch for full space, half, quarter and eighth space to cover all likely situations.

Just because the port faces forward does not make a speaker suitable for literal bookshelf or wall mounting.

[Quiet Earth]

Placing a nearly-full-range speaker at the wall incurs a large bass boost

Yes it does. But, you can also adjust the toe in and put something reflective and diffusive just in front of each speaker (at each side wall) to keep a natural balance. I was surprised at how easy this was to achieve when I tried it.

I have "nearly-full-range", rear ported speakers at my house and they sit almost directly in each corner of the room. The back of each speaker is 8 inches from the rear wall and 10 inches from the side wall. This pretty much violates all of the audiophile speaker placement rules, but it really works for me. The speakers don't play deeper bass, but it seems like I added a perfectly integrated, invisible subwoofer. The music really pressurizes the room now. No more anemic outlines of instruments. The soundstage is still there, it's just a  different presentation than what I was used to hearing. The soundstage is more at the plane of, and behind the back wall now instead of all 3D-tangled up in the room with me. It's also much wider than it used to be, and feels very solid across that width.

I didn't have to add EQ or change anything else out to compensate for the placement. Maybe I just got lucky.