How to fix my detailed, accurate but BRIGHT system

Buy headphones or move the system to a friendly room -- or get another system for a friendly room. Rooms can nearly make a system, and can easily kill one. Yours sounds to me like a killer.

By the way, I know nothing, and YMMV.

I'm in the 'room/set up problem camp' and fundamentally agree with Johnnyb53.

Appropriate acoustic 'treatment' would obviously be a great help but if you can't, you can't. But at least get an area rug on the floor between your chair and the speakers to kill the first floor reflection. That would be a good starting point.

Then, assuming that you are listening from a chair at the apex of a triangle, and your speakers are out into the room 4 to 5 ft from the wall behind, toe in your speakers until the axis of the speakers cross well in front of your listening chair. This will go a long way in eliminating 1st reflections off side walls and, since many speakers highs are substantially reduced when heard well off axis you will get some high frequency roll off as well. It might even help with floor reflections but no so much as a good thick area rug. FWIW it is tough to incorporate an audio system into a family living space without everybody making some substantial compromises.

I don't think a change of components would be a huge step forward for you unless you can do some thing with set up and acoustic issues.

FWIW.

Interesting post and Excellent observation Tvad.

It also seems that Tvad's Bryston 4B SST and 14B SST didn't double down either, which may have contributed to his findings of lack of balance from bottom to top, while leaning towards the "Bright Side."

However, I'm not sure why Robert Deutsch in the Stereophile review described the Aerial 7B's overall tonal balance, to be warm and laid-back rather than on the lean and forward side, even though the Bryston 7B-ST in the review didn't double down its power either. Maybe it was the CAT Tubed Preamp he was using? He also went out of his way to say that it sounded good in most rooms.

John Atkinson goes on to say that, "There is a slight negative plateau in the low and mid-trebles compared with the midrange, which could explain the slightly lower sensitivity, and might also contribute to RD's feeling that the speaker sounded a little laid-back."

Also keep in mind that although all of the Brystons' here in question didn't double down their power either, they were all 2 times as powerful as the Butler Amplifier to start with.

It's all interesting stuff..., but that doesn't let you off the hook Greg. Your room is not equivalent to "Most Rooms." First thing you need to do is take your Wife shopping for some home furnishings, and if that doesn't work then you may need to double down your power as Tvad suggests, or add a Tubed Preamp like John Atkinson, or try different cables as others have suggested.

Just curious, these speakers are approximately 10 years old, so were they ever in a different room were they sounded more to your liking?

Rich

Thanks so much for all the helpful responses, you guys are awsome! I'm hearing the room treatment horn loud and clear. I have tried temporary things like foam pads behind and on the side walls, and also put pillows on the floor in front of the speakers. These things make a "little" bit of difference and I'm not able to leave them there. I do have an area rug in front between my seat and the speakers and cloth blinds on the windows on the side wall of the one speaker. None of this has made much of a difference as the rest of the space is still big and reflective. Tvad, these speakers are NOT laid back to me either. I purchased them because of the review that Newbee mentions above and other favorable reviews. I thought I needed a laid back speaker because of my room. So, if I add another 2250 this would give me better tonal balance? Or, do I get a different pair of speakers? Rich, I bought these speakers less than a year ago here on Agon, I haven't heard them in another room. I've been thinking hard about getting a tube pre, or tube DAC, but wanted to ask here first. Richlane, my speakers are 2' from the back wall and 3.5' from the side walls. My interconnects are nothing special, some Pheonix gold and Monster. I just can't see cables fixing this big of a problem, mabe I'm wrong. Newbee, I will try toeing in the speakers some more so they cross if front of me, I haven't tried that yet. As much as I appreciate the input about my room problems, I really need to approach this from another angle. With that in mind, I'm all ears.

Thanks,

Greg