In my experience both speakers, ATC’s and PMC’s, will work great close to the wall, one being a sealed box construction and the other being front ported. I currently have ATC’s and previously owned PMC Twenty5 23. The Spendor A4 is rear ported but I found quite forgiving close. to the wall.
it doesn’t matter that much really, they need space around to shine
The ATC SCM40 is. PMC speakers aren’t.
N.B. transmission lines are widely regarded as being more flexible in positioning than many (and I currently use mine almost touching the wall behind).
But undesirable for all except very tightly ‘beaming’ speakers is nearby side walls, unless suitably treated.
There’s 31cm between the back of the current speakers and the wall. I thought, erroneously apparently, that PMC’s could be positioned quite close to the rear wall, the stand mounted ones anyway. I’ve contacted PMC to see what they say. Maybe back to the drawing board then.
Just to clarify - all that positioning stuff is critical for the sound stage, port construction (or even its absence) has nothing to do with it. Just look at the picture above with the 40s to understand what they require.
Well it kind of does if you have to fit speakers into a multi purpose room, space isn’t always available.
Thanks!!!
I would try to ultimately go for ATC 25A, if too expensive then some Genelecs maybe
You know, maybe I should just stick with the Atom HE and headphones. Maybe get some Stellia’s to go with the Clear Mg’s and a big listening chair instead.
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I use my Atom HE with headphones, great sound and very neat solution, the Stellias are nice phones.
There is no hard and fast rule, though various speaker placement guides make suggestions and even give formulae. I’ve read recommendations of at least 18", 2ft, 3ft etc, but it is important to recognise that there is a relationship to listening distance because what is bad is reflections arriving soon after the main signal, and not diminished much relative to it - for any given side wall distance, the further away the listening position the sooner the shorter the time delay between direct and reflected, so the side walls need to be further away. Quite simply if no effective treatment the further the better! And if at all possible add at least some treatment at the first reflection points.
Hi Paul,
You know that’s not a bad idea. I have already listened to a pair at my local dealers. They were very good at their price point.
The problem of room acoustics in a living room not tailored to listening to music has got me thinking that spending several £K on speakers is probably unwise.
Most of my listening is via headphones but for the times when I want to listen to speakers the AE1’s may well suffice and save me a small fortune into the bargain. I think I’ll have another listen
Cheers Paul
Thanks for all the input.
To supplement my main listening source - Naim Uniti Atom HE with Focal Clear Mg, and for occasional speaker listening I’m going to get the AE1’s.
I’m also getting a Rega Planar 3, phono stage and PSU for my old records I rediscovered (in the loft).
All for less than the PMC or ATC’s I was going to get. All sorted, happy. Thanks
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If it is really nearfield listening, then rather than active hifi speakers, active studio monitors like the small PMC Result6 might be a consideration.
A pair of AE1 actives arrived here yesterday. They are currently running in.
They’re being run directly from an Auralic Vega in a second system in a fairly small room, which they seem to suit well. Whilst they don’t compete with my active ATCs in the main system, it’s remarkable how good those little boxes sound after just a couple of hours. Definitely a bargain.
Roger
It’s not near field @feeling_zen, the problem is that it seems my room is not best suited to gain the optimum from most speakers. I thought the active PMC Twenty5’s might be OK but others on here with far more knowledge and HiFi experience than me suggest probably not.
Rather than spend several £K on speakers and be disappointed with them I’m thinking something like the active Acoustic Energy AE1 for about £1K will suffice. Headphone listening is my primary listening method anyway. Maybe even a Muso 2 might do for occasional listening.
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A better speaker is still a better speaker - the room will affect the sound, but the starting point is better so the result is better. However as the lower rolloff point of speakers goes down, you go through a point where room dimensions intereact more - the bigger the room the lower the frequency where that happens. But avoiding that by having speakers that cut off higher means you lose the bottom end of music. Of course, some people aren’t bothered, while some music has very little in the way of low frequencies so hardly affected. I couldn’t live with a system lacking anything significant in the bottom couple of octaves. (The SCM40, incidentally, doesn’t have the most extended of bass responses - and I don’t think it would suit me, at least not without a sub as @Fatcat uses.)
You expressed doubt about your dealer permitting home audition. That didn’t sound like they had flatly refused. Why not ask them direct - not for full home auditioning of those you’re interested in, but if you pick your favourite during your auditioning at their premises, will you be able to have a confirmatory audition at home, or at least certainty that they will take back if you find they simply don’t work right in your room which is different from theirs? Then you can pick whatever you like best from their demos, with confidence that you won’t be stuck with a costly mistake if your room causes problems.
You must be thinking of some other cat.
I don’t have a sub OR scm40s. 
I don’t know who is suggesting that PMCs will not work in that position. Mine are only 8cm from the back wall. It’s not like a rear ported speaker which, with a few exceptions, need space behind them.