[Brandfuchs]

I absolutely love my HE1000 Stealth, but it doesn't surprise me at all to hear people say this. I'd hate these headphones on brighter, more clinical source gear, like SABRE DACs and ChiFi amps. They walk that line for me, of being too bright, and it won't take much to push them over that edge. But on a warmer DAC and Amp, these things absolutely bask in such pairings, and become wonderfully musical, while still maintaining phenomenal levels of detail, air, and transparency.

From a certain perspective, you could say they just tell you what your source gear sounds like. They are not forgiving. lol

I second your opinion mate! I once owned a HE1000 V2 as well, for me, its treble were indeed a bit piercing and bright at the begining, but after switching to an amplifier that could tame its highs well, its sound absolutely brilliant, I really appreciated its resolution.
I bought the non-stealth version, then they updated it with a stealth version, which, I think bass almost inherited signature of the HE1000se, really punchy as amazing.