@brewerslaw - marginally more than a newb myself, so take the following with the appropriate dose of salt.
You’ve rec’d a ton of great advice already - lots to consider there. I would also endorse the Harley and Smith books mentioned, if you’re so inclined.
I have a similarly sized room, but with flat 18’ ceilings. You may not want to hear it, but one thing that I found hugely beneficial for a similarly-sized room - 2 subwoofers. I bought a couple of nice Rels, used. I have not heard other brands in my room and have no doubt other brands would work well.
The addition of the subs did wonders. I don’t think you mentioned your typical listening level, but I listen to similar music, typically no higher than 85 db. The subs were hugely additive, even (and maybe especially) at lower levels.
If you’re interested in shopping local, check out Hifi Heaven and/or SOTA turntables. I bought a turntable (not SOTA) and cart through Hifi Heaven online and had a great experience. No experience with SOTA, but have heard great things.
If you and/or your wife like the sound of the Paradigms, and are interested in mating with an amp that might counter the perceived (I’ve never heard them) brightness, maybe think about a tube integrated or preamp. On the other hand,if it’s the relative pop that you like, demo with some SS or class D amps too.
FWIW, I have a Hegel 390 integrated w/ Sonus Faber Sonetto 3’s and the pair of Rel s810’s. Streaming is Qobuz via Blusound Node 2i, into the Hegel integrated DAC. Phono is Technics 1210GAE via Modwright 9.0x. The Rels, the Modwright and Technics are keepers, planning to upgrade the other components - not because I’m at all unhappy with their performance, but because I’ve realized I want to spend more discretionary cash on this passion than when I started!
@jjss49 @ghdprentice have been very helpful to me and I’d particularly echo their comments. Good luck!
