Recommendations on small ESL speakers for tiny room

I have owned Quads, ML, and Magnepan. Specifically, Quad 57’s, 2805’s, and 2905’s; ML Prodigy; Magnepan Tympani 1A, IIa, IIIa, SMG. Have just ordered Mag DWM and MMG-W for the HT.

Considering that you already own Sound Labs, I would not consider anything other than Quads. ML hybrids are OK for HT, but I found them disappointing for audio.

Quad 57's are a very musical speaker, but lack the bottom and top octaves of the new series, and also their clarity. That said, the best room I ever heard used 3 pairs of 57's, stacked.

The 2805 is much brighter than the 2905, which is quite mellow for an ESL, and the same size as your M545. Both can be significantly improved by a toroidal step up transformer and a better HV power supply, which I suspect brings it near the performance you already have.

Good luck - I’ve always wanted to try SL, but never got around to it. Maybe someday ...

Another thought - SL does custom work. Maybe they could do a 65% size, an M445?

Planer & ESL speakers need to be away from the front wall. Planers at LEAST 3ft & according to Martin login, at least 2ft for the Electromotion ESL-X. My Maggie 1.7is didn’t sound their best until I pulled them out to 4ft. A 10x10 room isn’t ideal for those types of speakers. That being said, you can always try some Electromotion ESL-X from Bestbuy to see how they work in your room. They offer a 15 day return policy.

Agreed, that's where they sound best. But a poorly placed planar still beats anything else. IMO.

I have listened to ML at audio shows but wasn't impressed. Everyone is raving about Maggies. Are they that good or "good for the price"?