Tim, I had an experience recently you might be interested in. I picked up a pair of speakers that were quite a bit larger than my previous set. The bass was overwhelming which really clouded the midrange and skewed the whole presentation. I knew the speakers needed to be away from the walls being dipoles, so I fumbled around for a while trying different positions, but it wasn't until I followed Cardas's Golden Rule that everything snapped into focus. The boom disappeared, the midrange became natural and the imaging was killer.
I realize that near-field listening isn't going to work for everyone, but if you haven't tried it, you should at least once. The stereo effect is stunning--especially with dipoles. But more importantly, following the Golden Rule minimizes room resonances which results in better acoustics. Read all about it here:
Setting Up Speakers In a Rectangular Room by George Cardas
If you're hunting for soundstage and depth, I encourage you to check out a pair of Alon's. All of their models sound more like electrostatics than boxes. They disappear effortlessly.
I realize that near-field listening isn't going to work for everyone, but if you haven't tried it, you should at least once. The stereo effect is stunning--especially with dipoles. But more importantly, following the Golden Rule minimizes room resonances which results in better acoustics. Read all about it here:
Setting Up Speakers In a Rectangular Room by George Cardas
If you're hunting for soundstage and depth, I encourage you to check out a pair of Alon's. All of their models sound more like electrostatics than boxes. They disappear effortlessly.