I wouldn't presume to tell you what to buy, but FWIW the speakers you heard and described will sound nothing like they did at in the dealers showroom when you get them home. NOTHING! If you have high-quality experience expectations from your purchases you will have to be a bit more specific, and realistic, about what your listening conditions are (going to be).
If you are listening to the speakers from a triangulated set up, then either could work but the panel types would require a lot of space between them and the walls behind them to sound as good as can be, say about 5 feet. But the good new is they can go closer to the side walls as they have a radiation pattern that allows this. But, the back wave can be a problem and you have to put diffusive materiels on the walls behind the speakers for optimum performance. And the non critical listening spot can be wide enuf for 2.
If that intimidates you, boxes are best. They can go closer to the wall behind them without creating major issues, but they need to be further away from side walls - how much depends what is on the walls near the speaker and how much you can toe in the speaker to avoid side wall refelctions.
If you are looking for a listening position less specific, for two or three people, you might consider omni type speakers which will give up a little clarity/specificity that you get in an optimup set up for panels for boxes, but you get a much larger sense of a sound in your room. Some folks really like them. They have set up issues as well.
So there, no answers, just something to think about. Sorry about that.
If you are listening to the speakers from a triangulated set up, then either could work but the panel types would require a lot of space between them and the walls behind them to sound as good as can be, say about 5 feet. But the good new is they can go closer to the side walls as they have a radiation pattern that allows this. But, the back wave can be a problem and you have to put diffusive materiels on the walls behind the speakers for optimum performance. And the non critical listening spot can be wide enuf for 2.
If that intimidates you, boxes are best. They can go closer to the wall behind them without creating major issues, but they need to be further away from side walls - how much depends what is on the walls near the speaker and how much you can toe in the speaker to avoid side wall refelctions.
If you are looking for a listening position less specific, for two or three people, you might consider omni type speakers which will give up a little clarity/specificity that you get in an optimup set up for panels for boxes, but you get a much larger sense of a sound in your room. Some folks really like them. They have set up issues as well.
So there, no answers, just something to think about. Sorry about that.