Thanks Alex.. I ended up trimming the treb just a skosh.. While i would prefer to run flat, it has helped. With regards to placement..... as much as it pains me to say it, i prefer the speaker placement, aesthetically anyway, out at the edges.. Ill play with the closer some more. I had tried already and was seeing negligible variances. If anything, the "brightness" that i was attempting to get away from was pronounced. Haven't tried again since trimming the treb gain a smidgen. Makes sense to do so..