I have not heard a Carver in years, so I am in no position to make a comparison. Does the 950 sound bright? Tough question. It sounds much more detailed than my H/K, but I'm not sure if I would call that "bright." Because of this ability, the 950 will reveal details at all frequency levels, including the higher frequencies which may be what your brother is noticing. Have him listen to CDs and DVDs for a while, (after all he has 30 days), and see if he starts noticing details in the recordings that he did not notice with the Carver. If so, then the Carver's "warm" sound may be the result of sacrificing detail. However, the bottom line is he should purchase what sounds pleasing to him. As a side note, check the polarity of his speaker connections to make sure they did not get reversed.