Which speakers did you find bright, fatiguing or just disappointing in some way?

minorl,
You are so right!

ozzy

Klipsch without a doubt. If you want to listen to glass shattering then they are the speakers for you. Anything else and they are too shrill.

the kef ls50s disappointed because they were not transparent enough, they sounded like midbass and treble but still very good.  

my psb towers were neutral, unrefined and forward to a fatiguing fault but at the same time had too much bass.  

the spendor D7 were overall awesome but ultimately too much midrange even though it was clean sounding and not enough midbass.  

It just occurred to me that most people who dis B&W's (800 series) have only heard them on the terrible ROTEL equipment at Best Buy.  I agree that they are overpriced, but what isn't?  If you want to hear what B&W can do, go to am audio expo and listed to the actual Nautilus, with its four stereo amps of 350 wpc.  I know people who spent more and got less, even with only one amp.  Check out a google search of  Lucas Sound's demo system, with a whole bunch of diamond 800 speakers.  Even this system costs less than a lot of folks pay.

Monitor Audio Studio 20