Best electrostatic in smaller room? Please help!

First of all, you are barking up the right tree. I congratulate you on your appreciation of full-range panel sound - you are a graduate-level music lover. You might want to check out the SoundLab line of hybrid and full range electrostatics. Not as well known as Martin-Logan because they don't advertise - sort of an underground, quasi-cult line that's been refined for the last 20 years. Superior design and execution to the Martins, IMHO. The Martin is a smooth curve that actually tries to compress and expand as it is driven, modulating the panel resonances, which become increasingly non-linear with large excursions as the panel is subjected to these compression and expansion stresses. SoundLab uses a segmented curve, but there is no venetian-blind effect - only very even dispersion over a 60 degree to 90 degree arc (depending on model). This gives the reverberant field the same tonal balance as the direct sound, something not possible with box or hybrid speakers or ribbons or Quads, only with full range curved electrostats (and full range horns). After you get frequency response and transient response right (this excludes the horns), radiation pattern is the missing link to live. SoundLabs full-range electrostats bring this all together like no other speaker I know of. Absolutely effortless, oh-my-god sound. Zero sonic distractions, conveying raw energy and emotion like nothing else this side of an unamplified or accurately amplified live performance (yes, SoundLabs set such a high standard that many amplified live performances will fall short). In a small room you might need something like Sonex on the walls where the first sidewall reflection occurs, or drapes if decor is an issue. SoundLab also makes the "Sallie", a passive (foam) backwave attenuator that works very well with their design, and should work with the Martins as well. I am using full size 79" by 34" SoundLabs in a 13 foot wide room and I love them. They make much smaller models as well. Your 15' by 15' room should easily accomodate a pair of SoundLabs, Martin-Logans, or Magnepans - whatever minor compromises arise from your room size are more than offset by unboxing the sound. I'd suggest the full-range SoundLabs over the hybrids, especially for your room - they will have a null in the side-to-side plane that will avoid overly exciting low-frequency standing wave modes in your squarish room. Check them out at www.soundlab-speakers.com; site may not show all current models so you might want to call. The site is very educational and worthwhile even if you end up buying something else.

For panel speakers, try the new maggie 1.6's. They are small enough to move around and sound excellent. Manepan also makes this really small speaker for $500 that you can use as a credit towards the 1.6 later. It is supposed to be the same sound quality but with limited lower frequencies.

Any Martin Logan will do very nicely

I heard Sound Lab Primas in a small room like that, and there was zero imaging precision. They sounded great very quiet, but got congested with louder playback levels. The power amp was a VTL. JAZZZMAN, you should hear some really good cone/dome speakers before you dismiss them all...

close call between the ml aerius or the maggie 1.6 I would go for the maggie for two reasons one they are believe it or not much easier to place than the martin logan and two they are much cheaper as an alternative maybe the mg-12 much cheaper still