PMC Speakers

I have a pair of PMC IB2  SE in a 11 1/2 by 18 foot room with 8 foot ceiling.   It took me a while to add appropriate absorption and diffusion and dial them in. They are toed in to meet just in front of the listener and that brought everything into focus. Yours being 14.25 by 17.5 and high ceilings should be much easier. I am not sure what model you might try in your price range. I found that synergy between components was also key to optimizing the IB2's but speaker placement/aiming trumped all other gains.       

This "hobby"/disease/perversion/OCD/etc. is so dam addictive!
However I've found it's not as much fun now that I'm "over-50" in having to drive long distances to far-away dealers, having to be subjected and get past the BS that many dealers push at you, and trying to arrange a listening session for a specific speaker. Then it's dealing with listening fatigue and the stress of knowing that a wrong decision can be very expensive...the more I think about it, the more I find It's preferable to just hang on to your current equipment and be happy with it. Based on the listening I have done in the last few months, enjoying what you have may be better than striving for what you don't.
Anyone agree?
  

I own the EB1i for a year now and they still give me a daily chub. Check out my rig page. Yours will move also.

Owned the Fact 8s for a year prior to that. Wanted the same sound but with 3x the paprika. And lo.  

I got mine for a PMC / Bryston dealer in Winnipeg, gave me a rocking deal (mine were a few years used) with warranty still. 

I had my Naim 300 amp updated to the "DR" version several months ago. Major changes in the way the amp sounds, and that has caused lots of problems with my Thiels - I was hearing nasty highs and glassy mids. after the amp update. I initially thought there was a problem with my speakers, but after burning-in the amp 24/7 for over two months now, things are getting better but there are still issues. I still haven't decided how to proceed - new speakers (but the Thiel 3.6s are just so good)  or try different speaker cables and keep cooking the amp.
I'm trying to keep the saying "the fun is in the journey" top-of-mind!