Is it too bright or is it high resolution?

@onhwy61 "an audiophile who goes to a live symphony concert and turns to his companion and asks, "where are all the high frequencies?"

So true! I find many hifi systems present the treble region in greater volume than live. That is brightness, and shouldn’t be a goal. In a full orchestra from the very back of the stage a delicate triangle can be heard throughout the hall, often cutting through louder passages of multiple strings or woodwinds. Great systems can do the same, allowing that clarity & detail without overemphasizing it. That’s transparency, not brightness and more is almost always better. Brightness is fatiguing and amusical, but transparency isn’t. As I’ve learned to become better at separating the two, my enjoyment and involvement in the music increases. Oh, and the brighter gear had to go! Cheers,
Spencer

Bright is a bad thing. Its a coloration.

Detailed is a good thing.

Quite often the two are found together. This gives detail a bad name!

Its possible to be extremely detailed and yet quite relaxed. Brightness is often not an actual frequency response error; instead its often caused by distortion (particularly in solid state and digital but can manifest from tubes and analog easily enough) which the ear converts into tonality.

By adding brightness, this can cause a system to temporarily seem more detailed. But in time it will be seen for what it is- a coloration, and not a very pleasant one.

This is just another way of restating what Spencer posted above.

Bright is bright. It's not hi-rez. But detailed is a different matter.

Let me guess: you listen to mostly to digital music? Vinyl won't sound that way nearly as much.

Also: Maybe think about a preamplifier that has tone controls?  Spousal happiness is pretty important, especially when it's time to upgrade.  The audio rig, not the spouse, that is.

If recordings were all equal and a standardized perspective was established then an agreement on brightness vs high resolution could be discussed effectively.  As recordings, material and perspectives can vary dramatically, the answer is a moving target.  I favor detail but with warmth and liquidity.  As a former drummer, cymbals need to cut through with all their complexity and shimmer!  I hate dullness and cloudiness.  That's a big reason why I gave up on tubes;)