Close listening requires really coherent speakers. The greater distances are forgiving of not so well matched drivers, for obvious geometrical reasons. I remember hearing VMPS, a giant box of differing drivers, sound pretty coherent from over 50 feet. 12 feet? Forget it.
Very close listening requires me to change toe in a bit, that's all. It's not just my ears, most listeners in my room are forced to go way up close, and all are equally surprised how great it works. It's like being in front of the stage, the singer 4 feet away, and very, very immediate, yet natural sound.
A low distortion set of components and very coherent speakers are the only requisites. I've done it equally well in small rooms, in some ways it is easier to get good sound in small rooms, the room reflections enter the picture less.
Many studio monitors are capable of this, even tough audiophiles often look down at the monitors, falsely thinking these guys don't know good sound because they don't see the big audiophile names, and assuming that the audiophile brands are the best speakers in the world. In reality, many studio guys laugh at audiophile equipment. The good studio guys hear much more live music than the vast majority of audiophiles, they tend to be very confident in their monitor choices, and very often for good reason.
