I enjoyed reading this review and appreciated the "by ear with music" in a more conventional listening space approach. It reminded me of how we used to audition or even compete speaker purchases and music a few decades ago when recorded music was more of a social event.
I've recently been able to audition different types of speakers in my home that are strange to me upon my revisit to audio, some of which are owned by a guy who's pockets are way deeper than mine and a huge difference in our listening (mine is much more humble and unintentional) spaces. He claims that with the quality of my DIY efforts, my listening space ("lucky" by his assessment) has him at a disadvantage. That his speakers sound much better here too, even without room correction. Still, regardless of our different exposures/resources, or what caused our personal perceptions to quality sound, just because I was having to use less technical experience and equipment to fix mine, did not discredit my ears, at least with music. I can't help it that I don't have to fix things!
Bookshelf speakers are what is really new to me outside of desktop pc speakers. I did start to notice the smaller speakers being surprise contenders back as far as the early 90's. The biggest surprise yet has been single, full range drivers in active 2.1 arrangements. Tiny little things in many cases.
Finally, I too have noticed some more budget friendly speakers being contenders (most recently with the JBL LSR I just got) and it's not always easy to say without being dismissed to the tin ear club, especially when hanging around the armchair expert'd to death internet. I enjoyed reading this unbiased review. It seemed like you were really enjoying it as we all should.
