I can remember how something sounded 10 years ago.....really!
Righhhhttttttt
Most people can't pick their own speakers out of a line up once they are gain matched and frequency compensated, and often not even with frequency compensation.
You may remember a general impression, but from a comparative basis 10 years ago, sorry, that is just not true. You believing that does not make it right.
Toole showed in the Harmon tests how flaky most audio reviewers are. Looking at the rooms many of them used, different speakers, etc. the odds of them effectively pulling the characteristics of a single unit out are slim (to none).