Why not horns?

Mapman - If you have the corners, K-horns would very possibly be welcomed by you wife because they will be out of the way with no wires running across the floor, they look like furniture with lots of wood and little grill, and they have a large flat space on top of each for knickknacks, etc. Learn how they work in the corners and shop for a deal. Sometimes a decent pair can be found for $2K or less and they will not depreciate if you maintain them properly.

If you see promise in them, there are many simple, cost effective mods available.
Because they are extremely efficient, the amplification options are many and small power amplifiers can be had for less money. If tubes aren't your thing, there are many interesting Class A SS amps to consider. I have a Rawson Aleph J Mini clone that sounds great with my horns. It cost me $275 from a guy at Audio Circle, as an example.

I too would choose Altec first but they are not so available as K-horns, and might not please your wife or resell as well. So, for your specific circumstances, I think the K-horns are a cool idea.

Mapman, without saying anything bad about the Heresey, getting a pair to get a taste of what horns are all about will leave you with a very wrong impression of what horns like Macro's, JohnK's, and other cutting edge designs are currently capable of. There is simply no comparison so don't draw any conclusions about horns from the Heresey.

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I've heard some very good sounding horn systems and think I have a good idea of what to expect.

Klipschorns would require a complete re-arranging of my wifes sunroom, but the end result could work, so I have not discounted that.

Cornerhorns are likely the only pure horns that I will ever fit into my home anywhere. Should I be concerned with the 12X12 room dimensions with cornerhorns? That is another concern.

I'm always scanning the market for a local reasonably priced pair of Klipschorns.

WE'll see.....

Well, you'll likely have a one-note bass, but in a room like that, that issue is hard to overcome regardless of the technology.

Mapman - at the risk of being slightly off topic, I can say from experience that Khorns can work in a smaller room. My space is 13 x 13 and while I suspect my imaging would be a little more focused with more space, I'm very happy with the sound. I have modified them a bit - Crites tweeters and crossovers and Trachorns. I'm running a primarlly analog system with low powered (but really nice )amps - and at least for me, the result is such that I'm not inclined to change anything.