Well I hope you don't mind a dealer replying...
I used to own Quads, both '57's and 63's, and I've owned several Maggies. I fell in love with Sound Labs a couple of years ago when I bought a pair without ever having heard them, and from there I became a dealer.
The Sound Labs excel at timbre; that is, getting the voices of instruments - the nuances of tonality and texture - right. The excel at this for several reasons.
First, Sound Labs use the thinnest diaphragm in the industry, .0001", as compared to .00048" for InnerSounds, .0005" plus conductor for Maggies, .0005" for Quads, .0006" for Acoustats, and .002" for Martin Logans. In other words, the Sound Labs use a diaphragm about 1/5th the thickness of the next closest brand. This ultra light, thin diaphragm can easily trace all the intricacies of waveforms, so that (for example) you can hear the separate voices in a choral work instead of a homogenous blend.
Second, Sound Labs are voiced a bit on the warm, forgiving side. They tend to not make a harsh recording sound any worse than it already is. In all fairness, Maggies also do this well. One difference, though, is the Sound Labs are incredibly articulate even at 50 dB.
Third, Sound Labs are unique among dipoles in that they maintain the same radiation pattern all the way up the spectrum, which significantly contributes to natural timbre. Let me explain. The ears derive timbre not only from the first arrival sound, but also from the reverberant field. Your ears expect the reverberant field to sound like the direct sound with the room superimposed on top. But because most speakers have varying directional characteristics at different frequencies, the tonal balance of the reverberant field cannot possibly be the same as the on-axis response. As the brain works to integrate these two tonally disparate sonic events (the first arrival sound and the reverberant field), the result is eventually listening fatigue.
Sound Labs have a figure-8 radiation pattern in the bass, as do all dipoles. But then as we go up the frequency spectrum and the panels become directional, their unique faceted-curved geometry maintins the radiation over a constant 90-degree arc. This effectively preserves that same figure-8 radiation pattern all the way up the spectrum! With Sound Labs, you can crank the volume a bit and walk out of the room (leaving the door open), and from the next room there will still be a convincing illusion of live music happening back in there. Note that from the next room all you can possibly hear is the reverberant field. The tonal balance stays virtually the same (you lose a little of the highs but that's inevitable). The result is a rich timbre and a totally non-fatiguing listening experience. You can literally listen for hours and never get tired of them.
Golly, do I sound like a salesman, or what??
Okay, now as far as which model to get, since you are most interested in nearfield listening and not in pushing the edge of the envelope as far as depth of bass or maximum loudness, really any of the full range models will work fine.
The smallest size is the Millennium-3. With these you will probably lose the highs when you stand up, and they are about 3 dB less efficient than the big ones. The reverberant field won't be quite as rich, since the M-3's radiate into a 60-degree arc. There is a little less bass extension, but it is every bit as articulate. For low to medium volumes, a superb speaker - with a beefy enough amp, you can dabble into fairly high volumes as well.
The next size is the Millennium-2/A-3. These are about six feet tall so depending on your height, you may or may not lose the highs when you stand up. The M-2's radiate into a 75 degree arc, and these are probably the biggest bang for the buck in the lineup. Given your room width, you'll get a bit wider soundstage with the M-2's than with the big M-1's.
The M-1/A-1/U-1's are the big guys, and I have customers who use them in rooms smaller than yours. These are six and a half feet tall, so unless you are very tall, you won't hear any diminishing of the highs when you stand up. I sell more of this size than of everything else put together.
Note that the big Sound Labs are about the same efficiency as Maggies. Also, Sound Labs are a difficult load. However, since you are not trying for the maximum volume possible, you have more amplifier options than most people. Atma-Sphere amps are superb at inner harmonic richness and detail; the MA-1's would work well for low to medium volumes, the big MA-2's even better. I've also heard good things about Viva amps, though I don't sell them. In solid state, the Warner Imaging amps work quite well. You will have many options.
Speaking of options, I very strongly recommend you get the toroidial transformer upgrade and the Cardas posts. If you live in a very hot, humid area, ask your dealer about getting a high output transformer as well.
The cabling I like best is the Magnan Signature; I'll explain why if you'd like.
If you don't have a dealer nearby, let me know and perhaps I can arrange an in-home audition for you, or otherwise make it easier for you.
Other planars to consider in the same general ballpark are the Maggie 20.1's, the Martin Logan Prodigy's, and the Quad 989's. You might also want to consider the Wisdom Audio line and the Audio Artistry Beethovens (if they're still made).
The Sound Labs are pretty much the ultimate expression of the full range electrostat. Sounds to me like they might work for you, so I hope you get to hear a pair.
Best of luck to you!
Duke LeJeune
www.audiokinesis.com
