my room conditions are less then ideal. cathedral type ceilings, no acoustical treatments aka wife factor, open side wall into adjoining room, and my speakers would have to be right up against the front wall with no space from it. being this is also my family room and these are my room conditions would you still go with the HT3's?
To answer your question, no, I would not only not go with the HT3, I would not go with any other speaker. How can you place a $6000.00 pair of speakers against the front wall. I have a pair of Linn speakers that are advertised to prefer placement close to the front wall, and that is just a big crock of advertising. The speakers actually work pretty well about 3' from the front wall, if you can get passed the fingernails on chalkboard tweeter. Having said all that, Jim might be able to front port a pair of HT3 that will work better closer to the front wall. (Jim, what about a front "ported" TL cabinet?)
Up against the front wall, the HT3 just won't produce their best sound. Whichever speaker you get, they really need to be out from the front wall and away from corners and any other obstructions, such as audio cabinets/furniture that "boxes" the speakers in. I think that the HT2-TL might be more forgiving than the HT3 being placed close to the front wall, but neither speaker will produce the sound quality that they could otherwise produce. Why can't you pull them out 2 or 3 or 4 feet? They are beautiful speakers, and they look nice a few feet out from the front wall where their beauty can be appreciated. They won't even get noticed if they are tucked away on either side of a TV or some cabinet, especially with something else on the other side. Maybe let your wife pick out the veneer. There are some veneers that beg to be displayed. If you are worried about kids, there are tactics that work. PM me. I don't want to say anything publicly that could be misunderstood.
BTW, my wife initially hated having the speakers out from the wall, especially when they were in our living room. She used to ask me why the speakers have to be out in the MIDDLE of the room. Now, although she doesn't like the music that I listen to, she seems to think of the speakers more like art. I like "Audio Sculpture" more than furniture grade cabinets (the HT4 exemplifies that concept, I believe). I previously had a pair of ST RT, but the appearance of the HT2-TL, in the same veneer, is more compelling because the speakers are larger and the W18 add more contrast. I think that the comments from visitors to our home about the beauty of the speakers encouraged her change in perception. Also, when Dennis came to our home, she knew that we had something special. My advice, if you have an ambivalent spouse, is to persuade Dennis to visit, and your troubles will disappear. After Dennis left, my wife asked me what he thought, almost like she was asking me if Dennis was going to let us keep the speakers. I told her that Dennis said that she needed to build me a larger room. She didn't believe me. Regardless, the speakers' importance, in her mind, increased 50 fold. If Dennis isn't available, perhaps Dennis impersonators can be obtained. (I am a bit tired. When I wake up in the AM, I will probably cringe at what I just wrote.)
Since Dennis and George visited me in April '09, we have hired a nanny/housekeeper, which I had delayed as long as possible, not because of the expense, but because I was worried that she would damage my speakers and electronics. We made a rule. She is not allowed in my audio room, i.e., dining room, particularly when she is walking through with vacuum hose wands, mops, etc. It turns out, when she saw the broadband acoustic panels hanging everywhere, she asked me what instruments I played (none), because her brother has a home-based recording/practice studio which has wall-to-wall-to-ceiling acoustic treatments. I let her in my room, now, but only when we listen to some music for a few minutes. BTW, Jim, she thinks the speakers are beautiful, and Dennis, she thinks that sound is "like being there." Our nanny knows music.