Don’t fight your speakers.

Yes, speakers are critical. You are right, if they don’t suit your taste… trying to change their character by upstream components is very hard and unlikely to work.

I auditioned NHT when they were a thing for home theater… did not do a thing for me. I went with a whole suite of B&W 805 Matrix… top of the line stand mount with 2 - 800 series subs. They are very musical… they have given us great service over the last 25 years.

@ghdprentice
It was a lesson learned the hard way, spent a year analyzing music instead of enjoying it. Foolishness of a youngster I guess.

My first taste of HiFi was on a pair of B&W DM4 paired with then some top of the line Simaudio front end( now Moon), I remember my father in law playing some Bruce Springsteen and I just listened in awe as if it was the first time I heard music in a domestic setting. Will never forget this sound!

Ain’t surprised you found bliss on the 805!

Agreed.  If the speakers have a fundamental flaw, it is cost ineffective (and a bit nuts) to work all your other components around that flaw.  Start with the speakers, then pick a complimentary amp, then pick the best source you can afford.

OP,

+1

You can see my current systems under my ID.

For me, it's don't fight the room.  You get off the upgrade merry-go-round a lot faster when that is right and speakers sound closer to the dealer demo when you get them home.

If you can, Room, speakers, equipment, cables or cables, equipment, source.

@curiousjim 

I agree a good room is a good start. It's gets a little complicated though because rooms can be treated and some speakers work better in some rooms than others. So a good room and a good speaker that's well suited to that room with appropriate acoustical treatments, which in some cases may be met with simple furnishings, and you're off to a great start.

Right now I'm temporarily using a very compromised system composed of a a pair of old Klipschorns mated to a bottom of the line Denon receiver. The system has its obvious sonic defects but those Klipshorns seem to get along well with that room and it makes it easy to enjoy the music. In a way it makes it more enjoyable because I expect so little from that Denon receiver and yet it really is fun to listen to for hours at a time with all sorts of music and sound tracks. 

After purchasing two and auditioning a third top model from the same manufacture my listening sessions grew short. Whether I was fighting the speakers or simply fatigued by them it took a side by side comparison with my current speakers that revealed the issue.

While quality and expense were on a higher level, indistinguishable driver cohesiveness was the immediate standout of my fatigue along with better time and phase. After living with them shortcomings in other speakers quickly stand out. 

If speakers seem to get in the way of my personal standards and divert any attention away from the music, they're outta here. I seem to get bored or curious sometimes, order some new speakers, and send 'em back or sell 'em off...the only way to really know if you like them is to try them in your system, and I am very happy with my "special edition" Heresy IIIs...the titanium mid horns just work better than the plastic redesigned IV's mids, and these speakers are very revealing of the other stuff in the gear heap...in a good way.