Maybe critical listening skills are bad?

A good reviewer has to point out areas of interest/concern so that prospective buyer can have an ear out for such matters.  That means trying to put into words qualities that are not easily described and it might mean exaggerating a bit so that the reader understands what is being described.  This might distort overall perspective.  By hearing a vast array of different speakers under differing conditions, a reviewer does develop skill in identifying a lot more subtle differences and areas of concern, and these should be part of a good review.

If you have the privilege of hearing a speaker in your own home, you can try to listen critically for the same things mentioned by the reviewer or you can just listen and judge for yourself.  The best judgment, to me, is how much enjoyment you get from the listening session and whether the speaker plays well with all sorts of music.  Listening for particular weaknesses and the minutia might help you determine what could be a source of future irritation once you own the speaker, so it doesn't hurt to do some critical listening.  But, it is the overall simple enjoyment and ability of the music to hold your attention that matters most.  For me, the biggest difference between different sets of otherwise decent sounding speakers is that ability to keep my attention and involvement in the music; too many speakers sound boring after a short time.

I agree with the comments above. I know my system is good when I can't draw myself away and want to hear the next song, and the next...

I think reviews can give a potential buyer a basic idea of how a component performs, but it is very subjective and it depends on the other gear in the reviewer's system.  I see reviews of certain pieces of gear and have to wonder if the rest of the reviewer's system is neutral and revealing enough to really make judgements.

All I can say about my gear is how it sounds in my system with my cables, etc.  

Over many decades and much equipment I'm trying to think of a single piece I purchased based solely on a single professional review. Early on prior to internet/social media my purchases all based on listening at dealers and shows. Since social media I need to see many user reviews over a relatively long term to consider purchase, professional reviews mean very little. Their opinions based on relatively short term listening, likely in a system very different from mine, and agendas not fully disclosed. Professional reviewers obsolete for me.

Obviously critical listening skills are bad. Without them you might be able to just enjoy the music. Or not. Without them you'll never have to worry, or if not, you won't have the skills to fix a problem you can't diagnose. 

For OP, how do you distinguish critical listening skills from plain old ordinary ones? What skills do you use to set up a new system? Listen to music? Is it really a shortage of hearing skills or just audio sloth? 

Back under the bridge. :-)

Eventually you will move from critical listening skills back to enjoyment listening.