I think I’m going to to with the HSU Hybrid 15 3.1 CCB-8 package for the front, then a Hybrid 2.1 package for the rear. That’ll give me the CCB-8s for left, right and center, 2 HB-1s for the rear, and 2 VTF-15H MK2s all for $3778 plus shipping. Then 4 HSU in-walls for the ceiling.
Have fun! I've had the CCB-8s in 2.1 for over 2 yrs.
1) Yes, time-intensity trading does work. When correctly set up with extreme toe-in the sweet spot is indeed huge. The other day I was standing ~10 ft off to the left of the MLP in my adjacent dining area and I could still hear a solid phantom center and stereo image locked between front L/R. Dialogue was still crisp, palpable, and intelligible from that angle. But they sound best within about a 7/8-ft-wide sweet spot in my room.
2) They're incredibly dynamic. In my 2.1 system and 19.5x15x8 room (about the same size as yours), run full range with an old 250 w/ch Bryston 4B ST amp, they won't distort at volumes louder than I can tolerate.
3) Imaging is precise and palpable, and on the right recording or movie the soundstage wraps around to the sides of my room. In the helicopter-battle scene in Kong: Skull Island sound FX were coming from the sides--and I only have front L/Rs. On orchestral music they'll accurately telegraph the hall acoustics with a wide, deep, and tall layered soundstage.
4) A little tilting will tame any on-axis brightness. At first they were a little bright even on 36"-high stands, as my sofa seats higher than average. I simply tilted them up slightly to solve the problem. You can easily do this with wedged rubber door stops or rubber erasers cut into wedges, all secured with Blu Tak or Quake Hold museum putty.
