[SCompRacer]

And to add one more comment about the SS8s, the bass is so good I could have lived without a subwoofer.  Heresy from a HT afficionado, I know.

My room was about 20 x 12 x 10, opening into dining room as well as opening to the upstairs.  The SS8 bass was more than sufficient for anything I threw at it.

My main level is an open 10,000 cubic feet (14 foot ceilings). I have to use subs to shore up the 25-35Hz range on my SS8's. Of course it depends on what I play for the subs come in...lol

Thank you all for your two cents and then some! Amazing how much time in day can be spent fantasizing about Salk speakers...

Sometimes you gotta scratch that itch. 

I agree with most on the smaller than SS8's for your space. If you haven't already done so, check out some of the room acoustics primers like GIK offers. They deal with reflections, comb filtering, bass trapping. It's much easier to deal with less than more in a small space.

[Mudslide]

First, you cannot beat Salk speakers in any setup.

My take, as in my previous post, is that you can put a good speaker in a large room, and it will sound better than a crappy (read lower performing) speaker in that room.  You can put a good speaker in a small room, and it will sound better than a crappy speaker.  All optimal acoustics aside (few of any of us have the "perfect" acoustical room), if you buy large, great speakers, they can sound better than any lesser speakers, irrelevant of size.  (We DO have volume knobs if you're worried about ... 'overwhelming the room'.  )  If you add good acoustic elements, of course any speaker will sound better.

My advice...get the best speaker you can afford.  I definitely agree with Ratso and Jonnyfive on this.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Best of luck with your decision...but by all means, stick with something from Murphy/Salk.