I kind of like Jack's take on this.
Some things really ARE "better" than others. Don't misunderstand me - I think that precise use of the language should be encouraged, and that people should be deliberate about what they say and how they say it. But I will not deny "Quality" as part of life, nor will I tolerate the notion that "having good judgement" is a bad thing.
I freely admit that a lot of what makes some things "better" than others is subjective. I don't think we should willy-nilly constantly imply that the tower speakers are necessarily an "upgrade" from other speakers; for a particular room or particular use, they could be a MUCH worse choice. But some things really ARE "better". Some ideas really ARE "stupid".
It's kind of like that "Receivers" thread that is simmering right now. Frankly, I don't CARE if different receivers "sound" differently. I'll leave it to the scientists and philosophers to figure that out. What matters to me is that my current system gives me joy, and it does. I feel blessed that I do not so easily succumb to equipment envy to such a degree that I can no longer enjoy the "now". There are too many environmental and content-related factors that impact my listening pleasure for me to worry about the subtleties of sideways electrons.
I'm reminded of Alan's comment about "similarly good". Whose signature line is "Enjoy the music"? Snippy?
Oh yeah, the factory outlet speakers are just fine. At least mine were.
This has been quite a week for stream-of-consciousness threads.
