I am 51 so there may be some age related high frequency attenuation.
Does the BHSE + SR-009 sound bright? Yes but only at levels that I find uncomfortable and which is probably bad for your long term hearing sensitivity. It is almost like a built-in hearing protection...which is an advantage in my book..
In my experience, this slight brightness affects only poorly recorded materials.. With most recordings, the BHSE + SR-009 combo sounds sublime....better in my opinion than the already excellent SR-007 Mk1.
In my extensive comparison over the past year between the 2 Stax models, I preferred the SR-009 for better detail retrieval, lower and tighter bass reproduction and greater sense of airiness. The SR-007 only had an advantage when playing less than stellar recordings.
I respect all the member's opinion and depth of knowledge but clearly there are individual variations in how we perceive sound.
Edit:
I noticed that our perceived differences is quite often accentuated by the terms used to describe our opinions. Few headphones in the hi-end segment actually elicit diametrically opposing views from experienced headfier. So to fully benefit from the opinions expressed here, it is useful to understand the writers point of reference and the way he/she express themself. I found that with some research, most differences in opinion are more subtle than described.
