Ray,
When I was speaker shopping in early 1995, I was considering the 2.2's and the 3.6's, which at that time sold for $2750 and $3950 respectively. My wife and I took some CDs to the Thiel dealer in Tustin, CA, the Digital Ear, and a very accommodating salesman gave us over two uninterrupted hours to listen to the 3.6's driven by Krell and Audio Research electronics in a listening room that was designed with Thiel's advice. The 3.6's were just awesome, and my wife encouraged me to spend the extra money and get them. Their greater volume and resulting fuller sound, deeper bass and spatial imaging are very helpful on the classical orchestral recordings that I listen to. I bought them and I haven't regretted it. My listening room is about the same size as yours, and every improvement I have made to my system since then has been instantly audible and sonically rewarding.
The 3.6's are wonderful speakers that you won't outgrow for a long time. You can find a used pair for less than $2K, which is an incredible bargain. As you've mentioned, they do need room to breathe. (See the description of my system elsewhere on AudiogoN.) They also sound their best when driven by quality electronics. I urge you to consider very seriously whether your room can accommodate them, and proceed accordingly. Good luck!
