dougeyjones,
Not to advertise any particular speaker, but I did not find Revel F208 harsh and bright at all. Quite the opposite, I would say. It just shows that personal perceptions and preferences will be hard to overcome in a written thread like this. Someone's harsh and bright will be someone's balanced and polite and vice versa. For example, the speakers I recommended you also consider (Tekton Moab) sound unbearably harsh to me while many call it "detailed". Best is to try for yourself.
Not to advertise any particular speaker, but I did not find Revel F208 harsh and bright at all. Quite the opposite, I would say. It just shows that personal perceptions and preferences will be hard to overcome in a written thread like this. Someone's harsh and bright will be someone's balanced and polite and vice versa. For example, the speakers I recommended you also consider (Tekton Moab) sound unbearably harsh to me while many call it "detailed". Best is to try for yourself.