Maggies are great. I am on my second pair, the 1.7s. Two feet from the rear wall is pushing it, but as they are only a couple of inches thick that is about the space that most speakers take up anyway. A bit of wall treatment can help, but they radiate equal amounts of energy backwards as they do forwards.

The only caution is that they are monstrously difficult to drive. Yes, they will sound good with decent amps, but they just soak up power like a sponge. Very few amps can really get the best out them but with a good match they are awesome. Speed, superb imaging, detail and, yes, real bass slam.

Geoff