I've been hooked on audio for 30+ years, and have attended various audio events both commercial and at the hobby level. I've come to believe the following things:
1. Measurements are like a festival seating ticket, they'll get you into the event but where you finally sit is up to you. I've owned speakers that independently measured awesome but in my rig (many choices), in my listening space, and my taste in music they just don't ring my bell.
2. EVERYBODY DOES HEAR DIFFERENTLY- People have different shaped ears, and they are designed to collect sound and channel it into the canal. Because of the different shapes some of the sound coming in has been gathered in a unique way. Just as different shaped and sized listening rooms affect sound so will your ears.
I was lucky enough to attend an audio gathering while on a business trip recently. The organizers thought it would be fun to play the same song over and over using one rig, but several sets of speakers all were considered to be of quality. It was fascinating to watch as some were entranced, other ok, and a final group fidgety and uncomfortable. With each speaker the various groupings changed.
3. Synergy is real- Measurements will not tell with any overwhelming accuracy how well a speaker, or any component will work in combination with other pieces in your rig. Recently, I was in the market for a cd player, and was quite curious with a $1500 unit that had been getting rave reviews. I brought it home for a test drive as the store was closed for the next 3 days and the demo wouldn't be missed. In my game room system, it was just as advertised, a terrific piece of gear. When I put it in my family room rig, it wasn't a good match. (For those of you who are asking, game room is $8500, family room $10K). No amount of measurements could have predicted that result.
Just my .02 cents.
P.S. my apologies for bringing back an old thread, but I found it quite interesting.
