@medialies I agree with you and David. Nevertheless, getting it all sorted out is proving to be a challenge. Also, while quality speakers are definitely a priority, there is more than one way to design a speaker, and each type of design has its own quality as well. So we can talk about quality speakers as well as speaker qualities.
In my case, sometimes I feel like a monitor; sometimes I don’t. As much as I like my B&W 801 Series 2, after about two hours, I’m ready for something else. With my McIntosh XRT20s, I love their lush sound, but when I send the same source to my new Sony AN1000 Home Theater AV Receiver output through some really inexpensive Left, Right, Center, and Sub—wow— so much more clarity and depth of field, texture, and volume. I’m really scratching my head now.
At least two factors come to mind. When I was an arrogant youth, I thought I knew everything and was loath to question myself; now that I am older, I realize (after making a few) that I can make mistakes (although, again, I am loathe to admit it). Second, my ears aren’t what they used to be. A third factor may be lack of focus. When I was young, I was clear about what I wanted— I wanted to play rock music louder! Now that I am older and listened to, and enjoyed, many types of music, I want to hear the fingers on the strings of a folk guitar, the gentle decay of a clear piano note, the depth of a double bass and the shimmer of a high-hat cymbal— not all on the same recording but on the same system: my system.