True, I don't know why distance (space?) from the front wall makes such a difference, only that it does. BTW, if room boundaries seem to be affecting your system's imaging, you're probably not listening true nearfield.
Near field speaker placement reduces the impact of room boundaries, it don't make them irrelevant.
Clearly, ideal placement distance from the front wall is speaker, room, system dependent. There is no concrete/standardized rule in this regard, imo.
Especially speaker dependent. I have found only sealed or front ported will work up against the front wall. This is why I like the XLF's, which can be either front or rear ported.
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