Best electrostatic in smaller room? Please help!

Any Martin Logan will do very nicely

I heard Sound Lab Primas in a small room like that, and there was zero imaging precision. They sounded great very quiet, but got congested with louder playback levels. The power amp was a VTL. JAZZZMAN, you should hear some really good cone/dome speakers before you dismiss them all...

close call between the ml aerius or the maggie 1.6 I would go for the maggie for two reasons one they are believe it or not much easier to place than the martin logan and two they are much cheaper as an alternative maybe the mg-12 much cheaper still

I agree with Jazzman about the Soundlabs (what I own), and with John_1 on the Maggies. Both are excellent choices in electrostatic design. Carl is correct about some cone speakers being excellent, but your topic is close to my heart in asking about screens, they are what I evolved to after owning (many of) each of the major types of speaker designs.

check out the newform research speakers - see their rewsite & read the audioreview comments. john meyer of newform sez they work especially well if you can place them on either side of that opening to the kitchen, facing into your listening room.