Front 3 satellites just inches off the floor - how bad?

[soled!]

Hi guys, been visiting this board for awhile but this is my first post.

A new living room and entertainment center may dictate that I place my front three satellite speakers on a very low bench that is only 3-4 inches or so off the floor. My furniture setup is a couch and chair facing each other with a glass coffee table in between, all in front of the TV but perpendicular to it (so that if you lay down on the sofa you're looking at the TV more or less straight on from just off center). The speakers will have a relatively unobstructed line of sight to my ears. Unfortunately I don't have access to the speakers right now to simulate/experiment with the placement. Has anyone here faced this issue? How much of a compromise will this be? FYI this will be a 3.1 system for now, with rears probably not in the picture for this living room. I imagine angling the speakers slightly up will help. Are there any other tweaks that would help? Most importantly, I'd like to know if anyone has tried this to disastrous results, which would cause me to possibly go back to the drawing board! Thanks.

 

[billnchristy]

If you can angle them up towards you ears that can help. Also, why not build or buy a short stand that could sit on the bench and bring them up towards your ears a little more?

 

[soled!]

Thanks for the reply. I should have been clearer in my first post - they will actually be sitting on a low shelf on 2 tier bench. The top shelf (where my TV will go) is only 20" high to begin with. I could put my front left and right speakers on that top level, but it will look nicer with all three on the same level, and arguably sound pretty much the same.

Has anyone here ever listened to satellites so low to the floor?

 

[billnchristy]

My center is low, practically firing at my knees but it is ok, the image kinds of fools your ears into drawing the sound up or down. I would do the mains on the higher tier...

 

[EnzoPolotso]

My center is low, practically firing at my knees but it is ok, the image kinds of fools your ears into drawing the sound up or down. I would do the mains on the higher tier...

Are those different varieties of the same Ikea shelf you used to make the entertainment center?
I was thinking of doing something like that with those, but using one as a tv stand with a pair on the sides.
How sturdy are they?