"Bookshelf" speakers designed to be placed near the wall behind them?


I'm giving up my beloved (14-year love affair) Sonus Faber Cremonas in order to reclaim valuable floor space in the living room.  Currently they are placed on the floor in front of the fireplace & hearth - our new home has pretty much everything we wanted, *except* an audio-friendly layout in the living room.

My plan is to put a pair of smaller speakers up on the hearth on either side of the fireplace.  Probably will need custom stands to get the tweeters near ear level.  The hearth is 13.5" above the floor and is about 19" deep.

My first candidate was the Wilson Audio Duettes, a speaker explicitly designed for placement in close proximity to the wall behind them, *until* I saw their price - $22k.  I'm sure they're spectacular speakers, but that's well above my retired-guy budget.  I'd like to stay at $5k or under.  So I started looking at bookshelf speakers that are either sealed-box or front-ported ...

And I came across the Aerial 5T - a $4k speaker with a 1" woven ring-dome tweeter, a 6.7" papyrus-blend woofer and a front slot-shaped port.  *And* it's specifically designed to be placed from 2" to 24" from walls.  So that's my current front-runner.

But I'd be interested to hear others' recommendations - I certainly haven't looked at all the possibilities that are out there.  So let me know your thoughts!

Thanks
128x128Ag insider logo xs@2xmbo
mbo,
@ptrck887  here.  I am now in Scottsdale but originally from San Jose.  Heading that way next Sat after a visit to T.H.E. Show on Friday 6/1.  Then driving on to Bay Area for a week of family and a little business.  If interested in some sort of trade I can box them up and bring with.
Thx
+1 @desktopguy

get sealed box speakers. The roll off on a sealed box is better suited to a wall placement. 
Maybe a bit late...but  I just got home from THE SHOW in Irvine and it may be sacrilegious, but the ELAC Debut 2.0 front ported bookshelf speakers were excellent....shocking that they are $300.!  I ordered a pair for a second system in the living room.  Check out the reviews and see if you can get a listen.  
Has anybody heard the Zu Audio Omen Bookshelf speakers?  10" "full-range" driver (concentric tweeter, I believe) in a sealed box enclosure, reasonably priced, sold direct online only as far as I can tell.  Looks interesting!