Getting the best out of bookshelf speakers when actually in a bookshelf

[LiveJazz]

Ok, so I know that the way to get the best performance out of bookshelf speakers is to put them on stands or a sturdy platform, give them some breathing room from the wall, etc. However, I'm moving my trusty rear-ported B&W DM 303s, which used to be ideally placed in my living room, into an actual bookshelf, specifically left and right on row three of this bookshelf. Vertically, the speakers are a tight fit - maybe a centimeter of play. There's a solid 5 inches to spare on the sides, and the speakers are centered in their boxes. I don't have any books or anything else in the boxes that house the speakers, and they're pulled as far forward in the shelves as possible. Wife wants them facing directly forward.

As expected, bass is muddier and they generally don't sound as full and clear. I don't expect the sound to ever be as good as when the speakers and ideally placed, but I'd like to get the sound as good as possible under the placement circumstances.

Are there any little tricks to "help" speakers (specifically rear-ported ones) that are caged in a bookshelf due to spousal demands? I was thinking about putting some padding on the wall behind or perhaps to the sides of the speakers (Maybe books? Would that improve or hurt the sound?) to reduce unwanted vibrations/resonance, or maybe placing them on something like a small towel (??). Any other ideas, or am I wasting my energy with that kind of thing when the speakers are so confined to begin with? It's not that bad...these will be used mainly for background music and not intense listening...but if I can make the sound better easily and inexpensively, why not?

 

[fuzz092888]

Ok, so I know that the way to get the best performance out of bookshelf speakers is to put them on stands or a sturdy platform, give them some breathing room from the wall, etc. However, I'm moving my trusty rear-ported B&W DM 303s, which used to be ideally placed in my living room, into an actual bookshelf, specifically left and right on row three of this bookshelf. Vertically, the speakers are a tight fit - maybe a centimeter of play. There's a solid 5 inches to spare on the sides, and the speakers are centered in their boxes. I don't have any books or anything else in the boxes that house the speakers, and they're pulled as far forward in the shelves as possible. Wife wants them facing directly forward.

As expected, bass is muddier and they generally don't sound as full and clear. I don't expect the sound to ever be as good as when the speakers and ideally placed, but I'd like to get the sound as good as possible under the placement circumstances.

Are there any little tricks to "help" speakers and are caged in a bookshelf due to spousal demands? I was thinking about putting some padding on the wall behind or perhaps to the sides of the speakers to reduce unwanted vibrations/resonance, or maybe placing them on something like a small towel (??). Any other ideas, or am I wasting my energy with that kind of thing when the speakers are so confined to begin with? It's not that bad...these will be used mainly for background music and not intense listening...but if I can make the sound better easily and inexpensively, why not?

Not entirely true about the stands or whatever. Obviously that is more ideal than what you're doing, but a front ported or sealed speaker will sound much better with little to zero breathing room behind or stuffed like that. Basically in order to get things to sound less muddy you need to find something to plug the port with, essentially turning them into sealed bookshelves. However, you'll be sacrificing bass response so keep that in mind. If you cross them over to a sub you'll have to raise the crossover as well.