I have absolutely no freaking idea, but every speaker maker except the ones "who make speakers to work close to the wall" use exactly that phrase when I ask them why their speakers don't image when they are not obeying the Cardas rule or some other arbitrary speaker law of physics to do with reflected sound and how the brain perceives it. I can't be the only Audionut in the universe who is told this!
Is it possible to have Good Imaging close to wall
I keep looking for the best speakers to stand flush against the front wall and end up looking at the usual suspects: North Creek Kitty Kat Revelators, Allisons (now old), Von Schweikert VR-35, NHT Classic 4s, Audio Note AN/K, and other sealed or front ported speakers. But I have never understood how, even though the bass is controlled, they can defy the law of physics and image as well as, say, my great actually owned other speakers, Joseph Audio Pulsars, far out in the room? Is it physically possible for these flush mounted speakers to image as well?