I suspect the driving force behind most of the derision is a purely financial one.
The problem for those with any vested financial motives engaging in a public forum must be how to resist the temptation of endorsing their own products.
It must be far too easy for them to view any debate as a regular means of free advertising in what is a notorious dog eat dog industry where fortunes often rise and fall on factors little to do with quality.
The last thing they seem to want is an accepted consensus (as you might see in the world of Pro Audio). Hence the endless avoidance of measurement and data combined with endless attempts at obfuscation. All this with both eyes glued on their balance sheets. Impressive stuff!
Ask yourself why else would those running a business devote so much time of their precious time regularly posting online here and elsewhere?
Are their motives entirely altruistic?
Really? Aw bless!
Perhaps also their regular customers might ponder why so many respected manufacturers (Kef, B&W, Harbeth, Magnepan, PMC, Tannoy, Rega, Sony, JBL, ATC, Technics, Creek, NAD etc) never engage in any public debate about products.
They might only speak up on those rare occasions they feel the need to correct some misinformation regarding one of their own products.
Paul Darwin of Rega is particularly good in this respect of being informative online without crossing into morally dubious self-promotion. It really speaks volumes for Rega that they have achieved so much success with so little promotion.