Some acoustic panels look fine to good even to our spouses. I will say it one more time. This is your issue. GIK makes all sort of colors and art panels and they will tame your highs and greatly improve your sound.
Speaker placement and room treatment are a must. I just need to know more about your room and set up. If this is simply not possible, then please let me know. I am most sensitive to highs and cannot stand even a hint of etched or glaring highs. I have always owned very "tame" speakers like the Silverline Bolero and Dali Grand speakers, but it wasn't until I treated my room with GIK panels that I learned what a properly treated room can do.
I have tried making my own panels and buying other brands, they never did what the GIK's do. Go to the site and look at the 242 and 244 panels. Look at the colors and note the reasonable prices. I purchased all mine used here on the Gon for about $30 - $45 a panel.
They will transform your music and absolutely put the highs, mids and lows into proper balance and focus. All smearing will be gone, Alison Krauss's voice finally lost its hard edge on her live album with all the life still there!
I used to read about folks going on and on about "the room" and based on some past experiences I would yawn and move on. Well the GIK stuff smacked me awake and has gained my full attention. Don't dismiss this if you want a wonderful solution that will work with your current and future gear.
