from the end user/listener's point of view, it is almost all subjective including their goals; ie, not everyone would agree that the goal of hifi is to accurately reproduce a live performance, and for many the goal is not about certain aspects of signal reproduction, but the acquisition of hifi gear.

that said, the objective work is primary and needs to be done by the engineering, design and production folks (both in the factory and in the studio). without that we wouldnt have much to argue about.