I don’t disagree. My take is that the pads can be (1) acoustically open, airy, and foamy, (2) acoustically closed and absorb a lot of treble – such as microfiber or felt, or (3) acoustically closed and reflect sounds – such as leather or smooth synthetics.
With #2 I have a sense of listening in a black hole or anechoic chamber. I experience air pressure fatigue over time, but most headphones sound okay for a while.
With #3 I think you are hearing echoes and reflections, and they too bug me. It’s not different than a live concert with multiple speakers near solid concrete walls. Everything can turn to mud.
HelHelHelloolololoooooo
I also agree that your dislike of closed cups may relate to differences in left versus right ear hearing potential. I have different perceptual dips in my left versus right ears, even though I can detect loudness at about the same levels overall.