critical listening - i hear something i don't like


i need some help. I've been around this high end audio and theater thing for a while...but am just finally getting MY system close to the point where i really want to listen to it. I just upgraded a few components and actually (finally)hear 'air' in a movie i was watching this past week. The entire front collection of speakers dissappeared. WOW!.. getting very close to something good.. okay..enough background...

Here's what i need help with. In between these episodes of marvelous listening, when the movie track gets loud, the sound appears incoherent. There are three things i'm guessing i could attribute this to: 1.) the amp speaker relationship - either the speakers can't take the signal output by the amp, or the amp can't keep up with the signal. 2.) my room really does need some anti-reflective treatments - I have stuff in the corners.. but the side walls are bare (rectangular,sealed room, carpeted floor) 3.) the digital cable between DVD and PrePro may need some more thought

Any thoughts on where to focus my efforts? i explicitly didn't include a system description because i don't want to get into equipment conversations yet. If this thread gets interesting, i'll do that next

thanx in advance
objective1
Responders are the the ones who are "postulating" in my post. Sorry for the ambiguity.

A more powerful conclusion will result in discovering first hand the cause to your problem instead of relying on present or past responses. I would be surprised if lack room treatment is not partly or totally the cause because the room's sonic affect increases with volume and a "poorer" room commonly results in what you described. Because you are addressing the room already, you can soon eliminate it as a confound or, hopefully, eliminate the problem.
Just so it may make more sense, my last post was written immediately in order after Objective1's response to my first post. I don't feel rewriting it to better fit what has come subsequently.
thanx for all of this... here are some details.. but i feel i have a little more work to do

room dimensions 13'6" x 19' x 8'

ml 334 and proceed BPA 3 driving requests, theater i and scripts. and a descent sub source is a krell dvd standard through a krell hts 7.1

transparent audio ultra xl's throughout

i don't bleed my ear drums, but i would say i listen loud...probably close to 110 db

either way... i'm thinking the 100$ room analysis by ASC would be the next step... then i'll see if the ml334 is just falling behind trying to drive the requests
actually... if my spl meter is accurate... i don't listen above 100 db.. that's really loud in my little room
Let me run this up the pole and see if anyone salutes it.

It's hitting a major room peak resonance point. The room shakes, which shakes the rack, which shakes the CD player, causing it to go into extreme error correction/concealment, which drains the power supplies, which now throws the clocks off. And for a brief milli-second the sound goes to he!! in a hand basket...

If your rack is at the midpoint of any wall, or in a corner, it stands a good chance of being excited even more, as they are the points of highest pressurization.

Dave