Shahinian Obelisk vs VandersteenTreo

Finally received my newly bought second-hand musical fidelity A5.5 and hooked it up to the shahinians instead of my beloved, but child-unfriendly Manley Stingray.. So far the only good thing about it is that it doesn’t have any attractive switches or protruding glowing valves...
I guess, I must be doing something wrong. I did, however, phase the plugs and add a good DAC to feed it.
Underwhelmed...

Underwhelmed, how?

I was expecting that "neutral, sweet, tubey" sound that everybody raves about. Fidelity to music. Something like that.

What I got was... like I covered the speakers with a blanket. Powerful, loud, yes, but ... mushy. No air , no clarity, no dimension. The music was in the speakers, it did not come alive.
Calypso Minor from Abdullah Ibragim’s Sotho Blue, or, better, Someday Soon Sweet Samba from Capetown Revisited - all... boring.
Maybe it will get better with time.

Sorry, I did not clarify. Treos are good speakers. No problem with their extension; I find the LF is just not articulate. The quatros are better. I have heard the sub combo. It is not for me, so no argument there. The later quatros solve the midrange dip problem. Don’t have to believe me, stereophile measured it, although I think the reviewer underplayed the degree. I have a pair of B&Ws with very similar problem.

@ja_zz 
I think some of your disappointment might be with the Shahinian's. 
Another might be the preamp section of the integrated amp.
Though without being there, it is hard to give a good reason.
Unless, you want to fly me to Russia...;)
Bob