Soffits for monitors...good?

[DrFrankencopter]

I'm still in the design stages of my second studio, and have been hearing conflicting stories about soffit mounted monitors. It seems that most books (Everest, etc...) believe that soffit mounted mains are good in terms of minimizing comb filtering due to wall proximity, but in talking to engineers, in various forums, most do not use the big soffit mounted mains for mixing or monitoring at all...they just turn em on to make client's feel good.

In my latest studio design I have called for soffit mounted mid-field monitors (my room is too small for far fields). The monitors are ATC SCM50A's active triamps (an incredible monitor BTW), and I had planned on setting them on ciinderblocks, and constructing a wall flush with their faces (a reflection free zone type front wall, or controlled image design....I'm toying with both ideas depending on what the reverb time will be).

I'm wondering if the main reason that big soffited studio mains have fallen out of favour is due to a combination of the fact that they're usually horn loaded and up high angled down to allow a clear line of site through the studio glass...which tends to cause lots of console splash (bad early reflections). I will not have this situation because I do not have studio glass between my monitors (they will be at ear height), and my mains have dome tweeters and mids (no horns).

Unfortunately, I do not have the available space to use my mid fields in a free field condition, and figure that soffits are basically my only option.

Is this a bad idea?

Thanks,

Kris