I guess when discussions like this come up it's good to have your name thrown in there.
I think Danny Richie is interesting in that he'll sacrifice a little distortion to improve another aspect. Not many driver developers are willing to make this jump that may or may not measure in say a waterfall plot. I think that's a mature outlook.
I wouldn't say that I would sacrifice a little distortion, but I would say that if you are looking for a way to quantify performance then looking at distortion specs is a waste of time.
It's like looking at amplifier ratings and comparing .01% verses .02% verses .005% published distortion numbers and trying to say one is better than another. We know there hundreds of other aspects that effect how an amplifier will sound.
The same holds true for speakers. A way out there distortion number in a given range will point to a problem but it won't tell you how it will sound. And most people don't realize just how hard it is to get real distortion figures. There is no industry standard for it either. So there is no real bases for comparison.
Trade-offs should be type, size, shape and finish. Danny Richiees trade-off was to NOT pay attention to all the measurements but to stand fast in his conviction. Rant over. I need a nap.
Actually, all of our design work starts with the measurements. The measurements will point out an issue quicker than anything. But they won't tell you how good it will sound.