Starting from scratch in a large room

ARC takes the room into consideration. OP, if you have a question just e-mail paradigm support before pulling the trigger, you can also add a sub:

https://anthemarc.com

since you are at the beginning of your journey, you should ask yourself:

do you want big sound? will you play at high volumes? Bright, forward, detailed? Warm or analytical? Or just sound that moves you? These were all pretentious questions to me a couple years ago and I learned some of the differences. The easy test is, choose some of your favorite music that varies wildly e.g. the Stones vs. a vocalist. You usually get one or the other sound come out awesome from one system, but not both - unless it’s of course a ridiculously good system. Once you find out which awesomeness you are addicted to, it will steer you to the system that plays your music best (and then of course, the feedback loop curse: you will switch listening to what sounds good on your system)

Wilson Tune Tot will sound good / great ...! And your choice of Power Amp ...

36" shelf is a good height for horizontal speakers, beams drivers close to seated ear level. (42-48 for me, I’m tall, depends on chair height). Typically tweeters toward the center, keeping their narrow distribution more toward the center.

you can add something below as needed

btw, toe in. you can keep them ’straight’ for casual listening, toe-in some for 1 centered listener, toe them in more for two listeners, back to straight for wife factor if an issue. consider an appropriate amount of material that permits movement yet allows them to ’feel’ heavy on the shelf which hopefully is solid.

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’extra power’.

Usually I recommend efficient speakers, horn type the most efficient, (high 90’s, some over 100 db/1w/1m).

specifically to minimize the amount of power needed, especially if tube amp(s) might be desired now or in the future.

efficient speakers keep cost/size/heat down and increase placement options, consider remote beam and visible line of sight.

horn speakers enclosures, especially unvented ones are large, cubic feet determines amount of bass. (your location precludes rear/side/bottom ports, perhaps front port).

smaller, un-ported, usually efficiency drops, and often impedance drops, i.e. 6 ohms nominal, even 4 ohms nominal. there are some great sounding in-efficent/low ohm speakers, soooo to keep your options open for a large space such as yours, I will relate a recent experience:

friend, large space: 29 feet wide, 45 ft long, high ceilings.

JSE Infinite Slope Model II’s, sensitivity 91 I think, fairly easy load.

McIntosh AMP, MA2270, 270 wpc, BIG Meters.

Playing decently loud: typical 2.7 watts used; frequent 27 watts drawn; occasional 200 wpc; and infrequently but repeatedly the Power Guard came on, indicating the amp was preventing clipping exceeding rated 270 wpc.

Of course you can drive any 91 sensitivity with an 80 wpc amp, however, dynamics in content will need more instantaneous power. Size of space, desired volume, music dynamics are all involved.

So ’extra’? More power is not linear. IF I recall correctly: For each +3db in loudness (a perceivable difference) DOUBLE the power is needed. So a 150 wpc seems like a lot more than 80wpc, and yet ....

Restricting yourself to efficient speakers is wise, they get bigger, especially not ported, what is the wife factor for big speakers horizontal on a shelf?

Consider limiting yourself to a stereo amp that can be used MONO, so you could always buy a second one in the future.

I wonder if a surround system might work such as Definitive Technologies.  Wall mounted with hidden wires.  Looks like you are more interested in creating a mood rather than trying to truly image sound.