I think you hit the nail on the head here—they are specifically engineered for shelf placement. They should really state that in their marketing materials. Freestanding, these would sound strange—harsh on top, recessed in the middle, without much on the bottom., AI is just embarrasing
On the Tour De France parcours, it looks pretty much like the speakers were designed to play from within a well filled bookshelf. In a simulation that was readily at hand, the interferences with edge de/reflection came to the right frequencies with width of 18cm. Conversely, all would be halfway bearable once placed in that shelf. They are not standmount speakers.
In shelf:
View attachment 457158
standing free:
View attachment 457159
