If Toole were to test a group of fruit-eaters, durian would probably score very low--i.e. it would be rated as far away from the "standard" of good or acceptable flavor.
Yet a few people really enjoy it.
I get what Stereophile appears to be saying, but it does sound a bit desperate. If a given speaker deviates significantly from a "classical standard", I want to know a bit more than just that the designer is an industry maverick.