A good EQ can be your friend, clipping bass modes and moderating the overall bass level. It's not as good as properly matched speakers and bass traps but it can be the difference between getting entirely new speakers and enjoying them.
Right-sizing the system / room treatment evangelist
I spent some time looking through a lot of the system photos yesterday. I was really struck by how much beautiful high end equipment is out there… usually very tastefully added / integrated with an existing living room, den, or some other existing room. But also how incredibly compromising these rooms have to be to the sound. There are a few with extensive room treatments, but the vast majority are nestled in with open doors, fireplaces, windows… and huge speakers in small spaces, some untreated boxy reflective rooms.
There are a few room treatment evangelists around here. I see why. There are tremendous opportunities to radically improve the sound. I am really lucky to have accidentally bought a large house with a really excellent large acoustic space. My dealer friend of over 20 years sell and installs high end systems an is very cognizant of right-sizing the system for the sound space. We have been carefull to right size my speakers. There is an optimum size system for a space.
I remember hearing one of the most incredible systems in a tiny room / large closet. It was at a dealer who had carefully chosen the equipment / size to be room appropriate… and the added benefit was it was less expensive… smaller speakers, less powerful amp.
So, I think if I was faced with putting my system in the living room (like I did when starting out) with all sorts of compromises, vs a smaller extra bedroom where I could control the space and right size the system. I would now choose the smaller space.