Best speaker firing across short dimension of room

Hi 'goners.

I need help deciding what type of speaker (floorstanding, stand mount, physical dimensions, diver configuration) would work best "midfield," firing across the short dimension of my 13' x 30' room.

The best practical setup for me in this particular room is to arrange the speakers on either side of my fireplace, as a 9-10' equilateral triangle between speaker and listener. Speakers will have a clearance of up to 18" from back wall - but the more I pull them out into the room, the less distance between speaker and listening position.

The sonic characteristics I cherish most are great tone, imaging, soundstaging, plus charging the room with bass.

I've tried both small and large monitors, floorstanders, and subwoofer combinations over the years but my aural memory is short and would like to know if anyone has experienced particularly good results employing the same type of room setup.

FYI, I'd be driving the speakers with a Karan KAi180 Mk2 180 watt SS integrated amp, using Meridian CD as a source.

Any sage advice will be much appreciated.

Thanks,