I don't think there are that many I.D. speakers that are actually better than their retail competition. After all few I.D. companies actually make their own speakers, Axiom is one of the few that I know of. They are better suited to home theater and once you start doing some critical listening in stereo you become aware of the trade offs made to bring them to you at a certain price point. Most other I.D.s are simply rebadging other people's products with little or no difference... except for trim and faceplates. I prefer to be patient and get a great deal on name brand merchandise by major players in audio and HT.
Salk and Taylor are in a different league, they produce quality speakers. They are priced accordingly due to their use of premium drivers and top notch cabinetry. Call them Direct, I.D. , whatever, the difference is that they custom make them to your liking with sound and build quality that betters or rivals well known manufacturers.
