I’d agree that it’s important to be able to make judgements in assessment but also better is such a spotty and variable (and at times) abused word especially when it’s sitting open and naked and clear of any guiding context. I’ve heard some people’s better and thought more wtf than what’s best.... and not everyone writes as carefully as you or goes the extra mile to help qualify their determinations in the criteria of their best.
Just way too many see their preference as being some kind of an absolute and then ruthlessly bash us with it at every post. Latitude in this pursuit is good thing.
Well, sure. Merely saying X is better than Y is insufficient to establish the truth of such a claim. Which is why I mentioned evaluation based on merit. There can be a variety of criteria for evaluation of something based on what it is and what is expected from it. In audiophile-world a chunk of that comes from listening. Given that, what "sounds better" can be a matter of personal preference. Nonetheless a person should be able to describe their preferences if they want their evaluation to have any explanatory power. Otherwise one is just another graduate from The Mick Jagger School of Art Criticism: "I ain't no schoolboy but I know what I like." (Brown Sugar)