Hey Jeff,
I don't think the W22's will work for your scenario. They are specifically designed to be mounted IN the wall. I don't think you would be happy with either the aesthetics or performance of them if you feel strongly about not mounting them flush.
I'd get some M22's and Axiom Full Metal Brackets. I think the soundstaging could be wonderful in a near-field setting like this, but would obviously depend a lot on the mounting and the room interactions.
You must have a very understanding work team if you are considering separates at the office. I'm pretty sure I would not be able to ever use enough capacity of a separate amp to the point where I could discern an audible difference compared to a decent receiver. I mean, really, if you're going to be pushing 1-2 watts ALL the time, what's the point of paying for all that headroom? Bling? If I was going to get audio jewelery for the office, I'd either get tubes or a nice vintage integrated amp (an old Yamaha, Kenwood, Sansui, etc.).
There are lots of people who really like the new Vassallo series finishes. I'm sure Axiom would send you a sample for a small, refundable fee.
As far as small subs go, I'm intrigued by this
Carver. People also seem to really like the offerings from AV123 and the smaller Outlaw sub.
Tell me again why you can't just roll the M80's into your office?
