+1 to most of what you have said
Firstly, different people have different choices and different taste. Hence when one person likes something, another will probably not. All boils down to Personal choice.
However the OP has been overly critical, especially of some really good speakers like Dali Icon 6 & Paradigm Studios. Shows that he is commenting based on frustration. (Sure 1.9 Lakhs may not be an appropriate price) Dosent make the speakers bad.
While some good speakers may not go well with few guys, it dosent make them bad speakers so quickly. Some people love excessive bass,
most speakers are not designed for excessive bass or excessive anything. Most hi end speakers try to reproduce sound accurately, while compromising a little on it, trying to emphasize some factor over the other. Cost is a factor, hence something needs to be compromised. This is why people audition. Many speakers sound different than many others.
Last but not the least, it is speakers which dictate which amp is suitable and which is NOT suitable. Speakers are impedance loads. Loads always dictate how much power they need. Some loads are *cranky loads* and hence are more demanding. This means a more powerful amp is needed, which means a better power section in the amp is needed, and hence more expensive amp. It mostly depends on speaker design. This dictates how much power it needs to be driven efficiently. It dosent make the speaker a bad one at all.
While auditioning, always audition speakers first.
While auditioning speakers, always use an amp which has sufficient power/headroom. Else you will be listening to the amp, not the speakers!!
Once you decide on speakers, then and only then choose an amp.
While choosing an amp, more head room is better!!
Dont choose an amp looking at specs, many specs by manufacturers are either unreliable or not consistent. (For example: While one amp might have published specs driving 2 channels, another will have specs driving more channels. Hence you cant compare. There are lot more factors which come in.) Get a professional to choose an amp for you. Choosing an amp is not a simple task. Needs experience and good technical knowledge (Theory
and practical).
Source + Amplification + Speakers = 95% of the sound
Cables + Interconnects + Mains lead = 4% of the sound (Don't spend over 10% or INR 5k)
Power conditioners + Vibration absorbers = 1% (Under normal urban conditions)
While I agree with most of what you have said, here I disagree. Room acoustics plays a very very important role. Next to speakers, room acoustics play the next most important role. Its impact is not small, it can make a huge difference, if done right. 95% of rooms either, suppress or emphasize sounds. One cant know what is happening, without measurements. Many a times people upgrade to new speakers, without even considering what role room is actually playing. Working on room acoustics usually yeilds much better results than upgrades. More often than not, room acoustics play a dominant role.