There was just a thread on Audioasylum's High Efficiency (speakers) forum about Altec Model 19s where recent pricing was discussed (and recent offers have been in the $1200-1500 range with no bids). A reasonably well-known audio dealer and speaker specialist once called them one of the best turnkey speakers ever made. They are big, but highly efficient. They like a big room, but can survive in a room like yours. I have mine in similar placement in a slightly smaller room and they are wonderful. They put out a BIIIIG sound with little wattage, sound wonferful with tubes (and should work very well with tubes).
For anyone who can deal with big old boxes (they look OK, especially in walnut, so they have WAF of a certain kind but they are big, which means they could lose WAF points in another way, they are great. I put mine in a summer house music room (you can see it in my "Whiskey Room" system. Every time someone new comes to the house and listens to music, their first reaction is "Whoa, those are big", and their next reaction is "Who that's great-sounding music." The size is completely forgotten and fun is had by all.
For anyone who can deal with big old boxes (they look OK, especially in walnut, so they have WAF of a certain kind but they are big, which means they could lose WAF points in another way, they are great. I put mine in a summer house music room (you can see it in my "Whiskey Room" system. Every time someone new comes to the house and listens to music, their first reaction is "Whoa, those are big", and their next reaction is "Who that's great-sounding music." The size is completely forgotten and fun is had by all.