Martin Logan Vista spks versus Maggie 1.7 speakers. Best speaker for medium size room??

All of the above is excellent advice. Though 3ft. is given as the minimum distance planars should be from the wall behind them, acoustic theory suggests a minimum of 5ft. is actually more like it. That allows for the arrival time at your ears of the direct (from the front of the panels) and reflected (from the wall behind them) sound to be perceived as separate events by your brain, rather than as a single, blurred one. Sound travels at about one foot per millisecond, and acoustic events need to be no less than about ten milliseconds apart to be perceived separately (the precedence effect). With a panel 5’ from the wall, the sound from it’s backside, after being reflected from that wall, will reach your ears ten milliseconds (5’ + 5’) after the sound directly from the front of the panel. The reflected sound will therefore be heard as an event separate from the direct sound, which is what is wanted.

You should also know that, when the rear wave arrives back at the panel, that wave will contain certain frequencies that are in opposite polarity to the same frequencies currently being produced by the panel, the two therefore cancelling (+1 plus -1 = 0). It’s complicated! If you go with a panel speaker, do so knowing a fair amount of trial-and-error adjustment will be required to get the best sound from them in your room. It’s worth it---planars rule!

Thanks to all who responded so. Unfortunately, I would NOT get the Maggies I listed that far into the room  I listened .to Martin Logan ESF-EM, and I like them, though they are not the last work word in resolution. Also placement is a problem, like the Maggies, possibly less critical.

To Martiki,  that loaner policy does not apply to the new Maggie .7  speakers    Reason: unknown.   For a company that has been in business for at least 40 years, their customer service is marginal. I called them 3x to find out why .7 was not on the loaner list, only to find out each time that "Wendell" ( who I assume is the CEO of marketing) was out on the road, and there was no one else I could talk to.  The last time I called, I spoke to the parts buyer. Wendell come home and answer some questions. 

Unfortunately, my closest Maggie dealer is 40 miles away in a town named La Habra, California.  I think the product would be bettered represent by a dealer in Pasadena, California. which is a community with plenty of wealthy people and transient traffic..