This is funny to me....of all my years in retail audio, It never ceases to amaze me how people can BRIEFLY go listen to some SYSTEM set up somewhere, and make comments on WHAT THE SPEAKERS SOUNDED LIKE!!!!
I think most everyone here is making references to having heard some speaker at one time, and thus made judgements.
I've heard some potentially world class speakers, time and time again, set up very very poorly, with very missmatched gear!!! My point is that I think too many people make judgements on CRITICALLY BALANCED gear, which is pushed in a wrong sonoic dirrection one way or another, and they blam ONE PARTICULAR COMPONENT(in this case, the speakers) as being sonically underachieving!!! I mean I"m hearing some very nice equipment mentioned in some very poor light by some people. and I know that a lot of those pieces, set up right, in the right system and hands can sound fantastic!
I can't tell you how many times I've heard people "poo poo" speakers because somehow the rest of the system WAS FLAWED!
...It's kinda like people judging the Pressident, when really the congress, senate, and even Judiciary are influencing things as much or more!