Cost no Object but Small Room

I think Wilson Benesch speakers sound great and work well in small or larger rooms. I would look at the ARC or Discovery. Both are ported on the bottom making them work in a boundary situations. In your room I would consider putting them on the long wall giving you space on the sides.

i don't know if $9500 meets your definition of "cost no object," but for that you can own the most magical sounding speakers i have ever heard: the Auditorium 23 Solovox. Based on what you have said are your musical tastes, I highly recommend that you give these a listen. Look for links to reviews on tone imports website. i just ordered a pair to replace my Avantgarde Duo's.

How about something from verity. I have some fidelio encores and they are the best i have had in my small room and could be moved to a larger space in the future. They have a look and feel of the best and incredible natural sound that is very unfatiguing.

If you can, try to audition Verity speakers. They are really special with darTZeel amplification, and all but the largest models work great in smaller rooms.

Coltrane is a great speaker too, but it's not for everybody.

You might want to listen to the YG speaker too, the Anat Reference on stands (without the large bass module). Fantastic speaker, and I think that could work fine in your room.

And of course, don't overlook MBL 121. :)

11x17 would seem a perfect match for Merlins....good luck,Bob