The Horror

@audioaddict 

As Morpheus says in the Matrix, “You take the blue pill, the story ends. You wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland. And I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.” Neo takes the red pill and wakes up in the real world.

Unfortunately, there is no blue pill available, only reds.

I know your whole world has been turned inside out and you are in a maelstrom of self doubt and disillusionment, but do not despair. Time is the great healer and your memories of audio nirvana will fade and harmony will be restored.

But just in case, I think a new set of speakers might be required.

My two cents is that the OP has plenty of fine gear but could probably use to put in substantial efforts to optimize the system:

---Doesn’t look like the speakers are optimally placed. For one thing that is a lot of  toe in for Maggies. They may not be the best match for the room but first try some optimization techniques.

---No subwoofer - a lot of the slam can be had by one, or better 2 to 4, subwoofers. I would recommend a couple of RELs.

---Acoustics don’t look optimized - floor reflections, reflections from that big TV between the speakers, no acoustic treatments.

---Once the room and the system is optimized, only then can you even analyze the synergy between components.

Bottom line...a good sounding system takes work, not money. Just look at the high cost systems at shows, set up hastily in less than optimal rooms, that don’t sound any better than a $800 home system.

It’s a long journey. Spending money can accelerate the process, but also accelerate waste. Take it slow on the money side...tweak, move, listen, repeat.

Hey!

I didn’t read all the posts, but, I don’t need to!

Don’t worry about components and ultimate sound. 
You got Thelonious in your soul- he will take you to the cosmos and beyond. 

Learn to live with what you have.  But really, how much of this uber exotic stuff do they sell?  An acquaintance of mind just recently took possession of a Ypsilon CDT-100 CD player.   They're built to order and took him eight months to receive.  It's nice to look at all that great hardware but does nothing to get newbies interested in audio anymore.  Yes, I dig a top end Esoteric SACD system but am more than happy with their entry player.

@audiodidact I can imagine that horror actually and would be a little afraid to do what you did and commend you on the bravery.  I think I would have waited a little while so the contrast could wear off.  lol  But then there's that little matter of truth, right?  I have a question that I hope you will answer as it relates to the whole law of diminishing returns and super expensive gear.  Which, by the way, yours is compared to mine.  Did you feel like your system sounded great before the show?  I apologize if someone else asked this.  There are a ton of posts on this one.