Of course, compliments are always appreciated, but it’s not about ego, validation, or anything like that. If you don’t want any critical input, it’s your loss.
A friend came over, so I played his favorite record (Santana’s first album). He complained that, “he couldn’t understand the lyrics”. My equipment is thoughtfully matched and fine (no one needs to tell me this) but it confirmed my suspicion that my room needs a lot of acoustic treatment. Maybe my lp is suboptimal. Whatever. I wouldn’t be much of an audiophile if I weren’t seeking higher fidelity.
My all-tube system is optimized for tonality, flow, etc. My friend, who is a music publisher, hears $. I enjoy live recordings (among other things) with all their inevitable flaws. My friend hears production values, more than anything, and can not get past the limitations inherent in live recordings. I respect his “ears”, but he doesn’t kmow what he is missing.
We all have different ears and focus. Someone telling you what they hear is a just a different perspective.