I owned the Yamaha 1500 and the M60s and even I wouldn't say they're "bright". Though I wouldn't by any means say they're "warm". They're actually probably quite neutral. And when the Axioms are a little forward, that's what you get...a slighty forward sound. I've never found myself clenching my ears in agony, and I have hard wood floors. But there is a lot of detail.
My one gripe is that the Yammy leans more towards sounding more digital than analog. Some may like that, for others it may be a turn off. Obviously if I say "gripe" that means I like the latter
That's why I sold mine.
But again, it seems many people on the forum are very happy with theirs.
That's my 2 cents though.
