Because the hobby often involves digging down into the Earth, without a torch. I would have said tunnel, but there's often no light at the end of it Lol.
There were a few factors that contributed to the sub par outcome I heard.
The room was challenging, effectively L-shaped, w the sitting position right at the elbow of the L.
The room was too small for these spkrs.
We were using a prototype server w quad switch.
There was too much switching of power cords A-B-As.
I suspect other spkrs would have been similarly challenged.
But I also can't deny what I heard, a certain abrasive hardness that was present track to track, and once heard, impossible to unhear.