Switching from Genelec 8361A to Palmer Orbit 11?

[TimVG]

You may not consider them major, but these days there are so many near perfect speakers

Most have other, perhaps less noticeable to some, compromises - and then also, at what price point?

the wonky curves stand out to me

Besides a slight widening of the radiation in the lower treble and a couple of small on-axis artifacts these are better than you give them credit for. These are still +/- 1.8dB from 100Hz up, exactly the same as the Genelec 8361A (to stay remotely on topic).

The speaker needs EQ before the room.

A shelf filter in the bass is all it needs for most, and some low frequency EQ based on in-room measurements as with any loudspeaker. The shelf filter is a built in option, so there's little argument against it from a practical standpoint. I believe you put too much faith in scores. Compromising your direct sound in favor of a better curve based on theoretical averages is not the way to go, but as always - YMMV.

To quote a recent post from Floyd Toole:

The off-axis performance - directivity vs. frequency - plays a role in this, but as these sounds are reflected or scattered (diffused) on their way to our ears the room is involved and they are all different. So, directivity is important, constant or smoothly changing seem to be acceptable options, but it is a secondary factor - direct sound matters more.

 

[dasherzx]

Preference rating of orbit after eq is top 10-11 among measured speakers. Not sure how big a factor it plays but I find nothing breaking. (My vote was ‘fine’ on the review thread, in case I sound too much of fanboy)

 

[illusonic]

Maikys approach looks a good starting point, but you do lose headroom

EQ gain -1.3dB (to compensate for any EQ boost). You think that is something even worth mentioning?
And what about the -4 to -6dB low-shelve for room adaption of the bass that gains you actual headroom?