I’ve just upgraded my desk setup (which I’m now using far more than I ever expected to…) so the cheapo speakers I had no longer do the trick. Due to the space restrictions I am looking for speakers that sit on a shelf either side of the PC monitor.
There are a few options at the level I’m thinking of (around £500) but they are all rear ported. One of the interesting options though are a couple of Dali options (Oberon and Opticon). They are unusual in that they actually promote being able to be pushed up against the wall, even allowing for hanging them.
I was wondering if anyone has tried this. If so, how do they sound? Do they end up being a bit muddy?
The other option is to build some Wilmslow Audio LS3 kits (their LS3/5a wannabes). These are closed so should be much more happy to sit against the wall and have the advantage of a bit of “made them myself” pride!
The trouble with pushing speakers up against the wall is that below the baffle-step compensation frequency, you’ve gone from a 4π radiation pattern to a 2π radiation pattern which gives a 6dB gain. It can make the mids muddy and the bass sound boomy.
I used to have Dali Zensor 7s. They needed very little space behind them and no toe-in. They were very good in the mid and upper range. Bass a little laid back. Definitely not muddy. They were expressive and good value speakers.
The Opticon sits above the Zensor range, but unlike the Zensor are rear ported, so I would give them a little space even though Dali speakers aren’t ‘fussy’ about position.
Also note that Dali’s tend to have a 4 Ω nominal impedance.
Ian I have Oberon 5 speakers and they are much better at least 2 ft from the wall, and I often pull them 3 ft or more from the wall for a serious listening session, Maybe the smaller speakers are better closer to the walls.
You might want to go to the DALI website and read the whitepaper on the Oberon On-Wall. If that speaker placement works for you. Dali listens to their speakers and I don’t believe they would produce a less than great sounding product.
Off topic but DALI has released the new Oberon 9 speaker for $2499. It has two 9" woofers, a 7" mid and a 29mm soft dome. Bet it sounds great too.
I expect the On-Wall will be voiced very differently to allow it to be placed on a wall and might fit the bill. An on-wall speaker is effectively an infinite baffle, so BSC isn’t needed. They also benefit from increased sensitivity.
Indeed. Which was why I was interested in these as they are the only brand I’ve seen that actively support being backed right up to the wall, even though they are rear ported.
As you say, the on-walls might be a more reliable option - being designed only for 2pi use.
To be clear, if I had the option, I wouldn’t be doing this! My living room speakers are well out into the room and sound fantastic. This is just trying to find a decent setup for the daytime shift .
I feel your pain. I’m building as nice 3 way to replace my 2 ways in the lounge. Much as I like the 2-ways they won’t work in my office close to the wall without redesigning the crossover as they’re designed to be in free space.
I actually use a convolution plugin (LAConvolver) and the SoundSource app to use the room correction when watching films on our iMac (we use an old 2009 iMac as sort of media center with Roon and Netflix etc.). Works fine with Zoom too!
Thanks to everyone who contributed. I’ve managed to get some Opticon 1 at a very reasonable price. They are currently settling in but initial listening is very positive.
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