All Merlin family members.

i prefer a dead wall behind the speakers and gear on a rack to the side, not between or even behind.
bobby@merlin

that will help dave as i am sure you have a lot of reflected energy conflicting with the direct radiated information. this will obscure the contrast potential.
none of my designs are nearfield monitors. they are too uniform for that and are designed with their power response rather than nearfield on axis.
hope it works.
bobby

hi gentlemen,
i prefer the speakers at 6 to 6.5 feet apart and listened to at 9 1/2 feet or more. you can listen wider apart or closer to them but they respond best not too far apart and listened to further away. they are designed with their power response, not nearfield on axis. dave is getting away with a farther distance apart because of his electronic's perspective and silver cabling. if he wants more depth the perceived width must equal the perceived depth and that won't happen at 8 feet. i like drapes on the wall behind them but that is my taste. corner tunes and damping the immediate and primary reflection points for a smallish room too.
regards,
bobby@merlin

hi dave,
you and i spoke of your specific situation a number of times. with silver cable and bat gear in particular, the presense range will be enhanced and enable you to move the speakers farther apart. a more continuous sounding set of cables and electronics would benefit from my suggestions and show more depth of field due to the contrast potential being heightened. it sounds like you are not trying to get as much depth out of them anyway but a wider presentation. the wilson would have benefitted from your ancillaries due to the way they sound. the merlins are more continuous and therefore like other things for them to show their true potential.
have fun.
b at merlin