I'm becoming more and more convinced that speaker complaints like "overly bright" or at the other end "muffled sounding" are mostly caused by speaker-room interactions. That is, I don't think that your speakers are by themselves bright, but they may sound that way in your listening space.
If possible, some room treatments might make a big difference. If you really feel like you've got to make a change, you might also consider Onyx Rockets. While I haven't heard them, they are considered similar to Axioms but a little more laid back.
Good luck,
Bill
