I do not think the speakers your wife bought you is anything to be sad about. I am sure you will like them and that they will sound great. Most audiophiles/music lovers should be so lucky. You can always grab a pair of Vandersteen 3A sig 1 or 2 here for the cheap. I saw a pair under a couple of grand a few weeks ago.
My advice is the live with the speakers for a while, at least 6 months to get a feel as to their true sound and then go from there. However, if you listen to the speakers with the attitude you are heartbroken about not getting the Vandersteens, then you will not like them. Keep an open mind.