MN Fireplace Insert: Lopi Lg NextGen Hybrid or BK Ashford 25 or ??

[Samber35]

Northern MN. Gets cold. Looking to add supplemental wood heat and ambiance to our home.
5000 sq ft, split between basement/main floor. Looking to add unit to existing fireplace in living room of main floor. (there is also a large fireplace opening in the basement)

Chimney height: ~12-18' range (I don't know roof pitch or masonry chimney height on roof offhand)

Have furnace as primary heat, rarely lose power. Have access to good seasoned wood.

Have had 2 wood stoves in the past and loved them both. A PE Alderlea T5 when we lived in Maine and a Jotul J3 when we lived in PA.

Partial to stoves and know they'd better heat the space, but we have 2 large existing open fireplaces and no great place to put a freestanding, so we're nearly settled on inserts being the path forward. Unless someone can dream up a better solution in the existing space.

Viewing glass: would like "large" viewing glass so it looks proportionate in this large fireplace opening (48"x30").

Fan: understand it's needed with inserts, prefer something quiet

Cat vs non-cat: I'd prefer a non-cat, but can be ok with a cat. We'll use it daily (evenings/weekends) from Sept-May. If we can find a way to move air to back bedrooms, we may try to use it more like a primary. I do not want heavy maintenance after experiencing the low maintenance of the PE and Jotul. I'm not concerned about the energy savings between 71-75%, nor am I worried about the tax rebate as the cat stoves are priced higher to be comparable to the non-cat without credit.

Limitations:
- hearth is not on floor, it's raised 16" up and stone ledge is only 9" deep. (this makes setting a stove partially in the opening difficult)
- wood mantle is relatively low at 39" from floor of fireplace. ideally we find a lower clearance option, else would need to add a mantle protector
- opening is large (48" wide), and would like a manufacturer trim plate to cover the gap (or good referral to someone that makes something custom)
- immediate open living room is ~ 650 sq ft. living room

Considering the BZ Ashford 25 or the Lopi Large NextGen Hybrid, and leaning more towards BZ, but I'm admittedly starting to rule things out just to work towards a decision.

Ruled out the PE Alderlea T5, as it sticks out a little past existing ledge and has a smaller glass viewing area.
Ruled out Hearthstone Clydesdale after seeing more mixed reviews than I care to deal with.
Mostly ruled out the following for smaller glass viewing, unless someone told me one of them was an absolute rockstar: Vermont Castings Montpelier II, Quadra-Fire Expedition I, Regency Ci2700/Regency HI500.

*apologies for dimension sketch, this was meant for my own quick notes rather than for sharing with others, so it needs cleanup

Pic of fireplace attached.
Pics of opening dimensions attached.
Pic of floorpan attached. (red dotted lines on floor plan are walls that will allow air passage)

 

[begreen]

In PE models, the larger Summit Insert would be more appropriate. If the primary goal is fireview, the Lopi Large may provide a better light show and higher output due to it's hybrid nature.