@mahgister I have an answer to your question: deficient set up. Certainly I have heard bright speakers that I felt I could never own and enjoy, but there have been many mentioned in this thread that don't fit that camp, and I can only imagine that the weren't "cared and fed" well.
I have run speakers for the last 6 years that ride that razor's edge, and what I appreciate about them is that they reveal everything - - in the gear, in the cabling, in the mastering of the recordings, but, most importantly, in the music making. When things aren't lined up well in my system, the result can be too much "sound" focused and not enough "music" focused. But put in the sweat to tune the system, and I believe the reward is greater, more immersive in the emotion of the music and the thrill of the music making. Every speaker has its "needs" to attend to, and if you don't address them (with respect to your room, other system elements, and taste), you don't realize their potential.
I have run speakers for the last 6 years that ride that razor's edge, and what I appreciate about them is that they reveal everything - - in the gear, in the cabling, in the mastering of the recordings, but, most importantly, in the music making. When things aren't lined up well in my system, the result can be too much "sound" focused and not enough "music" focused. But put in the sweat to tune the system, and I believe the reward is greater, more immersive in the emotion of the music and the thrill of the music making. Every speaker has its "needs" to attend to, and if you don't address them (with respect to your room, other system elements, and taste), you don't realize their potential.