805s for nearfield?

[linuxtx]

Question for you guys on the 805s. How critical is placement away from walls with it being front ported? I am very familiar with the 800 series sound, as I have N804s in my living room, but I am looking for an upgrade for my office. Electronics would be Squeezebox 3 -> Musical Fidelity X-DacV8 -> Musical Fidelity A5 integrated. I am using a REL R-205 sub. I have a picture below to show what my placement options are, the speakers are currently about 8" from the back corner of the speaker to the wall. Would the 805s work well in this setup? If not what would you recommend and still be a suitable upgrade for the Era Design 4s I currently have?

[GregLett]

Have you considered the design 5 from ERA?
They have a much more full bodied sound than the 4,s.

[linuxtx]

I compared the D5 to the D4 when I purchased the D4. The D5 is not as friendly for the near wall placement I have as the port pushes more air. That said, the D4 is perfectly fine in the low end, and the REL sub integrates very nicely. All said, the D4 is slightly cleaner in the midrange than the D5.
I had been looking at Dynaudio C1 as the final upgrade step here, but financial considerations have put that on hold for a while, and I was told by some that the wall being so close would negate a lot of the C1s advantages. If this is the case, I doubt I will ever take that step.
Before hearing the C1, I had always hoped to put some 805s in here after living with the N804s downstairs for the last 7+ years. I have listened to them extensively over the years, and know I like the sound, I am just wondering if they will be a worthwhile upgrade, or if the placement will make them not worth the cost of admission. I have to say that I have been very happy with the era's here, and for the cost I am certain that they cannot be beat. I just know that I prefer the sound of the 805s in a normal listening environment, and wonder if they would translate well to this nearfield setup. This is where 90% of my music listening happens these days.

[GregLett]

I compared the D5 to the D4 when I purchased the D4. The D5 is not as friendly for the near wall placement I have as the port pushes more air. That said, the D4 is perfectly fine in the low end, and the REL sub integrates very nicely. All said, the D4 is slightly cleaner in the midrange than the D5.
I had been looking at Dynaudio C1 as the final upgrade step here, but financial considerations have put that on hold for a while, and I was told by some that the wall being so close would negate a lot of the C1s advantages. If this is the case, I doubt I will ever take that step.
Before hearing the C1, I had always hoped to put some 805s in here after living with the N804s downstairs for the last 7+ years. I have listened to them extensively over the years, and know I like the sound, I am just wondering if they will be a worthwhile upgrade, or if the placement will make them not worth the cost of admission. I have to say that I have been very happy with the era's here, and for the cost I am certain that they cannot be beat. I just know that I prefer the sound of the 805s in a normal listening environment, and wonder if they would translate well to this nearfield setup. This is where 90% of my music listening happens these days.

Understood. I have not positioned the ERA for near field listening, and I have never heard the 805's that way either. Bets thing is to try to get a pair of the 805's to try if you can.

[linuxtx]

Understood. I have not positioned the ERA for near field listening, and I have never heard the 805's that way either. Bets thing is to try to get a pair of the 805's to try if you can.

They are a great speaker for nearfield. When researching them I had a few emails back and forth with David from SignalPath. He was also using D4s in this regard powered by the A5. Since then they have created the Decco and Nova which gives a much lower cost of entry. The D4 was voiced on the A5 integrated and the synergy is great. I would have to guess that the Peachtree products were all tested heavily with era speakers as well. Frankly, if this had not become my primary 2 channel system, I wouldn't bother looking at upgrades.