try to hear PMC with that…
Anything they say should be with a pinch of salt…
I’ve tried LS50 Metas that close to a rear wall and they were very good except the treble which became very harsh with female vocals. However, I put that down to my room which had a lot of hard surfaces. I went with Sonus Faber Sonetto 2s which were excellent and well within your price range. I’ve heard Neat Iota Alphas and I they are very impressive too and don’t mind being close to a wall. This is all with a Nova.
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@Dipper There is a slight toe-in. From the back center of the speaker, they are 17.5 inches to the wall behind them. I have had several models of Harbeth. Several models of Dynaudio. Linn speakers. Rega speakers. All have performed poorer than the A4 in our living room. BTW the LR is not rectangular. There is also an entrance alcove and dining area.
The room presents lots of challenges. Its construction is plaster, concrete and cinder block with wire mesh inside the walls. WiFi is non existent where the system is. We had to hard wire Ethernet.
The room holds on to bass. The A4 speakers produce the right amount of articulate bass for this room.
One thing we really like is they are not as tall as many floor standing speakers. They do not dominate the room and do not impede our NYC skyline view.
After rereading your post, mine may be farther out than you can accommodate. We have a radiator at the bottom of the wall and we did not want the speakers too close to the radiator.
sorry, and Spendor too… 
@xfproductions, I fancy the PMC Twenty5 21i or the PMC Twenty5 22i. My local dealer has a pair of ex-dem 22i’s which I’m definitely going to listen to. They seem to be ideal, they can go close to the wall, which is essential for me and they’re at a good price - just need to listen to them now. At the moment they’re the only ones definitely on my short list (along with my current LS50’s). I’d like to ID a couple more. Some thinking to do. 
I want the Neat Iota Alphas to be on the list because I like the look of them so much but I’m not sure they are best suited. Still, might give them a listen.
you’d be surprised; I have a set of Iotas in my office and they match very very well to Naim gear
sure, listen to them. but… PMCs truly rocks.
PMCs have this analytical side of their face, and bass face, and really show off how the “tape” was made. …
Spendors are coloured, Harbeths do not have any bass and are for quiet sessions. Neat speakers have been never heard from my side so can not comment on that. Try also to find dealer with KEF and JBL
I was in a similar situation to you, I auditioned a few stand mounters in my 4 x 3.5 room to pair with my Nova. I had zero flexibility with regards positioning - they had to be less than 25 cms or so from the front wall.
I tried PMC, Harbeth, ATC and others and ended up buying Neat Ministra’s. Apparently designed for close to wall placement……another one for your list maybe?
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This might be a daft question but with the Neat Iota Alphas being only about 50 cm high would an obstruction in front of them such as a low coffee table have a detrimental effect on sound quality?
Here’s my room:
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Shouldn’t be a problem as they fire upwards as well as having a downward facing bass unit.
The answer is that the table will affect the sound, depending on its positioning - though whether the difference(s) would be noticeable to you is quite another question, that you’d only learn by playing with. Explanation follows:
If the table is in the path between you and one or both speaker positions it will reduce the delay of sound for which it is the near reflection point compared to the floor, which is undesirable, and if otherwise that thin rug is at the floor reflection point(s) the table would also be likely to reflect more than the floor at higher frequencies. On the other hand if the bowl on the table is positioned at the first reflection point, such that it disrupts the reflection and instead diffuses it, that may be beneficial compared to absence of table and bowl… The vertical position of the mid/high frequency driver(s) relative to the floor will determine where the reflection points are, and taller or shorter speakers (including stands) will move the points nearer or further from the listening position.
If you want to find the reflection points, lay a mirror face up flat on the table/floor, and move it around checking tge view from listening position. The reflection points are where you can see the mid/hf driver(s) in the mirror. An assistant moving the mirror may make easier.
Sell the 250DR and buy the best active speakers you can afford.
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The concept of active speakers with the Atom HE was mentioned in the OP’s previous thread before buying the kit he just has (secondhand ATC SCM40 could have been within budget) - but presumably the OP had reason to make the choice he did.
With a lot of help from contributors to this thread - thanks all - together with my own research, I think these are the speakers I’m going to demo:
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PMC Twenty5 22i Standmount Speakers - Oak (Ex-Demo)
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ProAc Response D2R Standmount Speakers - Natural Oak (Ex-Demo)
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Neat Ministra Standmount Speakers
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Neat Iota Alpha Floorstanding Speakers
It might take a couple of visits and I’ll take my LS50’s to compare
Thanks again
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Why do you say that?
All excellent choices.
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The HE with a 250 DR is a killer combination. And it opens up using many type of good speakers.
Sure, each to his own, but if one already has the HE and the 250 I’d say a lot of demoing should be done before getting rid of the 250.
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I’ve experienced a degree of uncertainty regarding the 250 DR I purchased last week (not picked it up yet) which was intensified this morning so I’ve been in touch with the dealer and cancelled it. I did sound good with the HE at the dealers but it was relatively old (2018) and probably a bit over priced considering. I have no regrets.
My original idea for the Atom HE was for active speakers and I tried the Active Energy AE1’s, after reading the ‘ecoustics’ review but I wasn’t 100% happy with them.
I’ve come back around to the idea of active speakers with the HE, but more capable ones than the AE1’s which were OK at their price point, and feel much happier about it. The HE with actives just seems more synergistic to me and I’m prepared to spend a bit more on them. My budget is now an absolute maximum of £5K so I’ve asked my dealer to source a pair of the new PMC Twenty5 22i Active’s for me to listen to.
I’ll have to keep my old Rega P2 for now rather than upgrading that as well - no budget left.
I’ll try not to publicise my indecision any further on the matter 
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Don’t worry we enjoy reading about your journey even when you change your mind. I’ve never tried active speakers personally but I hope they are great
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