@proacman I do not think the Blades need much rear space. There are a few A’gon users who have a near field setup with Blade 2 in tiny rooms (limited side wall space). They say they love it though I do not think they crack the volume. These are rooms more suited for the KEF LS50. I do not have the guts to try this myself in my 12x11x9 room. If I had a 20x15x9 or larger room then I would get a Blade 2.