Help with Shortlist of Speakers! (SF vs Devore vs Others?)

Thanks for providing so much information via your linked drawing and photos.

What comes to mind is, speakers optimized to go up against the wall, of which there are not very many but they do exist. Larsen comes to mind.

There seems to be a column sticking out from the wall a bit behind the right-hand speaker. IF you were to consider speakers intended to go flush up against the wall, would it be practical to shift your entire system to one side or the other by several inches to avoid that column?

How far does that column stick out? I’d guess 3 or 4 inches. And if I understand correctly, your ceiling height is eleven feet?

Aside from the lack of bass implied by their small size, how well do your current speakers perform in other areas? And, what are they, if you don’t mind saying? What is the approximate distance from their forwardmost edge to the wall behind them, and how important is that distance to your room’s aesthetics?

Also it looks like you couch is not directly across from your system, but rather is shifted to the left somewhat. And I don’t see a center-channel speaker. So I’m assuming it would be desirable for the imaging to hold up pretty well for the person seated at the left-hand end of the couch, so that the dialogue stays on-screen for movies.

I think that there are solutions, but wanted to get a little bit more clarity in these areas first.

Duke
dealer/manufacturer

Thank you very much for the additional information, jpearson3131.

I suggest the Larsen 8 or Larsen 9 as candidates for your situation. Here is a review of the Larsen 9; the reviewer is a concert violinist (whose day job is high up in the math department at UCLA):

https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/larsen-model-9-loudspeaker

I have no experience with the Sonus Faber Olympicas but my instinct is that they are designed to be placed well out into the room. They might well have too much bass up against the wall, and their relatively narrow baffle implies that a fair amount of midrange energy will wrap around and reflect off the wall behind them.

The Devore O/96 looks more promising to me, as the wide baffle makes them less susceptible to negative interaction with the wall behind them in the midrange region. I’d suggest that you try plugging one of the two rear-firing ports, which would lower the tuning frequency and make the bottom end’s native response synergize better with placement up against a wall.

If by any chance you are open to used speakers, you might consider the Snell Type A, preferably in one of its later iterations. You might need to invest in some refurbishing as they haven’t been made in decades. But the Type A is one of the most well thought-out up-against-the-wall designs. That being said, the Larsens will probably give a better soundstage for off-centerline listeners.

If you are willing to go off the beaten path somewhat, PiSpeakers offers designs which work well up against the wall. The GedLee Abbey comes up for sale used occasionally, and is imo (along with the Summa) among the most acoustically advanced designs ever, though subwoofers are required. The GedLees and PiSpeakers can be toed-in aggressively to give very good imaging across the width of the couch. The JBL 4367 is also a candidate. These are all rather large loudspeakers, which may be an issue.

My other thoughts about speakers for your situation involve products that I’m commercially involved with.

But let me at least suggest that, in this price ballpark, it might be worth attending an audio show where Larsen will be exhibiting, or traveling for an audition. They have a dealer in Los Angeles. No affiliation.

Duke