Speaker recommendation for married couple

If your wife has "very good ears" why not let her choose. If she chooses something that is respectable in terms you agree with then why not?

Did she listen to the speakers in a dealer's showroom or at your house?  6' ceilings are extremely low, so you should probably get some panels mounted overhead first and foremost to try and 'disappear' the ceiling.  No doubt you are getting a lot of early reflections and comb filtering from the ceiling that are coloring what you and the Mrs. are hearing.  

(((She does not like when the vocals make that "TISSSSS" sound where it scratches your ears. She also likes good bass, more than I do for sure.)))

This is typical of many loudspeakers with a steep order crossover which causes a pre and post ring on transits with excessive sibilants not to mention removing parts of the music's timing.

 This is why many live recordings sound great with Cans yet loose it with
conventional  steep order box speakers.

In a well executed phase and time correct design most find obvious music's fundamental are in proper sync with overtones and harmonics.

This and other factors work to preserve the recordings whole venue instead of bits & pieces.
In listening to a 6 DB per octave phase and time correct design you experience dimensionality and preserve the lost time in the music while negating unwanted pre and post ringing that most women and men are very sensitive to.
Best,
 JohnnyR

Where are you geographically?

E

With 6 foot ceilings, you may have a lot of unwanted reflection from that source.

I have 7 foot ceilings, and I solved the problem by putting in a lattice of 1x3's, which are 0.75 inch thick strips of wood, in 1 foot by 2 foot rectangles. In addition to taming reflections, it gives an interesting and finished look to the place.