Same here, took years of research, development, and specialized listening testing to get the preamplifier and amplifier spot on. After those reference pieces were finished, then seven plus years to get my personal test
speaker project right.
Excellent specs are necessary, but the ears address what the specifications do not cover.
One definition, to me, accuracy/neutral means natural, not sterile. The use of accuracy to mean sterile originated with the early solid state amplifiers which measured excellent with sine waves, but sounded brittle, broken glass under musical conditions.
cheers
steve