Maybe critical listening skills are bad?

Critical listening must be learned and acquired by experimenting with acoustics principle in a room...

Not by changing the gear pieces and calling this my taste and listening skills.....

Is it so difficult to understand why ?

If you dont understand how to create imaging and soundstage in a room by yourself, using any speakers, according to recognized acoustics principles about reflections, absorption, diffusion, it is meaningless to speak of listening skills of reviewers  who change the gear piece4 and call their branded name products evaluation "knowledge"...It is marketting not knowledge...

@mahgister --

You don't negate the differentiation of speakers by understanding and properly implementing acoustics. "Properly" with a proviso, certainly insofar it's not universally accepted what constitutes the right acoustic properties of a listening room in relation to a given pair of speakers, ears and gear. Acoustics aren't everything, although a vital part of the "equation." 

At the end acoustics is the vital part indeed...

i can do acoustics specific implementation with any system or speakers nevermind the one chosen at any cost, what matter is the end result for my ears with the chosen speakers for my budget, in a specific room...

Acoustics principles dont change with the branded name speakers design...You do the acoustic instalment in function of the speakers design anyway...

Acoustics implementation is not buying panels either , it is a business for people who cannot use a dedicated room only a living room ....

it is using the principles of acoustics to design a dedicated room for a main user...

Great Hall acoustics is not small room acoustics, it is very different business, reflections for example are not used in the same way...

Most people had no idea about acoustics anyway, it is easy to see reading audio thread...

In a word : the same system/speakers in a living room compared to a well designed dedicated room will sound totally different...No comparison at all in my three experiments... For sure the synergy between speakers and the gear
matter to begin with starting the process. But at the end you hear not a dac or a pre-amp but the speakers/room which you must learn how to tune...

In this sense Acoustics rule audio...

Most people ignore this because they dont have a room only for sound, nor the time to study and experiment...

They bought the costlier a few panels and this is all done... But in most case it is not done even if they dont know it..

There is no S.Q. relation between BEFORE and AFTER acoustics implementation nevermind the gear system chosen...

In this sense gear dont matter, pick the best you can at the price you can, but at the end this optimization of the chosen system cannot be bought with a few panels... Marketing dont replace acoustics...

Truth is not popular...

@mahgister --

You don’t negate the differentiation of speakers by understanding and properly implementing acoustics. "Properly" with a proviso, certainly insofar it’s not universally accepted what constitutes the right acoustic properties of a listening room in relation to a given pair of speakers, ears and gear. Acoustics aren’t everything, although a vital part of the "equation."

Reviewers can easily drive you down the equipment rabbit hole. I concurr with @mahgister  that paying attention to the room acoustics is of primary importance if you ever want to truly be able to appreciate the differences that various equipments provide. Otherwise your are truly driving blind. Sure, you will be able to enjoy one piece more than the other, but it will never reveal the true potential of any. You start building a house with a solid foundation, same goes with a listening room.

You say it better and shorter than me...

Sure, you will be able to enjoy one piece more than the other, but it will never reveal the true potential of any.