looking for advice on bookshelf speakers

Look for something with a silk dome sweeter. I use Tyler Acoustics speakers myself. Good luck.

Go with soft dome tweeters. Stay away from a metal dome.

I would go an NAD or Cambridge audio amp with perhaps Wharfedale speakers. I personally love Dynaudio speakers, and though they have silk dome tweets, they can be a little treble happy. However, if you pair Dyn's with Cambridge Audio integrateds or the NAD's you should do much better. But Dyn's can be pricey, and Wharfedales are kicking butt lately.
For cabling I'd recommend Audioquest Diamondback or Cardas 300B. Both are transparent yet easy on the ears as are the source components mentioned above. If you go Wharfedale 10.1 speakers for about $350 that just got RAVE reviews, you could perhaps get the other components/cables as well. Just some thoughts. Take care/good luck...Brian.

I came down with meningitis following a spine fusion surgery six years ago and one of the after effects is a sensitivity to higher pitches and higher frequencies.

Speakers that have worked for me: Rega Aras (now RS1s), Ascend Acoustics Sierras 1, and Opera Plateas (the Opera Seconda is the closest current model). I currently have a pair of Totem Mites in a bedroom system which after a year I have mixed feelings about. I find that I can not listen to them for more than an hour. Energy RC10s and Wharfedale 9.2 worked for awhile, but not in the long run. B&W speakers, across the board, seem to annoy me.

I find tubes more pleasing than solid state, so the Prima Luna amps are the cornerstones of my system.

Rich

Wow. I feel sorry for you guys/gals. I hope hat you can find something that is pleasing to listen to.