On the contrary, I would think that we probably agree on the purpose of audio gear. For instance, most purists in search of "realistic sound" use stereo bypass mode for two channel recordings such as CD's, LP's tapes, etc... and we dimwits do too.

Listening environments (room, studio, hall, etc...) have characteristics and limitations that work against the goals of "realistic sound". Most rooms have significant modes of reinforcement and cancellation at specific frequencies. These occur commonly at the low end of the audio spectrum (less than 400 Hz). Without a cure, this very unintended and "unrealistic sound" is often described with words like "boomy, muddy, or sucked-out." The cure for such maladies could include moving speakers, acoustic treatments, bass traps, and other modifications to the physical properties of the space. The goal is to achieve a flat room/speaker frequency response, which gives us that elusive "realistic" sound. In fact, I am not aware of any listening environment that could not benefit from some form of "room correction" as it is often called.

SH has brought up the value of using "Real Time Analysis" (RTA) of the room/system configuration as a diagnostic tool. Programs such as True RTA can resolve response curves to 1/24 of an octave, and are relatively inexpensive to employ. All acoustical engineers use some form of RTA (and other forms of analysis) to carefully assess the room characteristics and evaluate alternate solutions. Generally, you don't need RTA to recognize the problem, you can hear it, but it helps you dial in the solution.

In many cases, it is not practical or not possible to cure the "unrealistic sound" problem without the introduction of sound processors. There are many types of processors, but the most commonly used for room correction are band equalizers, or a parametric equalizers. A good parametric equalizer is the most precise and "tweekable" type of sound processor. It is used commonly in all kinds of spaces for this purpose. These processors are of high sonic quality, and do not introduce unwanted distortion or noise in to the signal path.

So... in review... Rooms have acoustic properties that make for "unrealistic sound". To overcome this, we employ forms of "room correction". Parametric equalizers are commonly used for this purpose. The goal is to achieve a "realistic" room/speaker frequency response. It is not in any way comparable to selecting the stadium or hall mode on a gimmick loaded receiver. You can still select stereo bypass mode on your pre-amp and expect a clean, detailed and balanced sound.

Some pseudo-audio gear heads will argue that the introduction of equipment such as sound processors are, by definition, distorting and personalizing the sound at the expense of the true intent of the recording. They do not understand the fundamental nature of the problem being solved, nor the purpose and effect of the equipment. Don't hire a philosopher to fix your car; and don't let a generalist talk you out of valuable discoveries that are beyond their curiosity or depth.