my room is fairly large 14x24 with an opening on one side into a dining room (about 10x12) and kitchen. I have a large bay window, 10ft vaulted ceilings, and hardwood floors with some marble floors in the back of the room. i have an area rug and drapes but i feel my room has a kind of bright sound. in terms of adjusting my audio system should i lower the treble a little to compensate for all the hard surfaces in my room? any other audio adjustments i can make to soften the sound?

I would think you could try lowering the treble a little, it might help, but most treble controls seem broad in their ajustment range, just my opinion. maybe try a few more area rugs.

any other suggestions to tame a bright room through audio controls? (should I try adding more bass?) thanks for your replies.
sincerely, newbie.

Acoustical treatment is better than any electronic adjustment you can make. Just taming some of your first reflections could improve your sound dramatically. If you're taking such an approach, don't forget about treatment on the ceiling as well. Also, if you're afraid of putting up acoustical treatments because of the way they look, you should look around before making that decision. Since the home theater boom, many acoustics companies are now producing products that blend into a room much better than you would expect. Start with the Auralex acoustics website and work from there...

If you set on using electronic methods, you could look into an outboard equalizer to insert into your system. Here's an article you may be interested in:

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0705/behringerultracurve2496.htm