When a budget speaker is preferred to a high end one...

Ah, another jaunt into the Uncanny Valley of the Speakers.....

Watch your step, plenty of trips and falls to be made and had on the journey.... ;)

It's part of what afflicts too many humans. More cost equals better whatever but it's often not the case. From just about any objective measure a Camry is better car than a Ferrari 296GTB, but try convincing most people of that.

This subject is why I own tekton design.

Very interesting thread. My experience is that this all becomes moot when you start focusing on the quality and uniqueness of the music. After 40 years of system building I just said this is my stereo and here I stay. Mostly. The access to new and interesting music is where I put my energy nowadays.

The key word in the OP is “preferred”, and no assertion of “best”.This is a fine but important distinction. It introduced the unavoidable factor of personal bias and personal taste , which we all understand.

@blisshifi clearly addressed the resultant highly variable, and intuitively bespoke personal value judgement options, in good form .. full stop.

“… “Price is what you pay, value is what you get.”

-WARREN BUFFETT