This portion of your post seems to be an argument against the LCD-X being used in a professional setting (e.g. mixing and mastering) where a reference sound signature is required.
There is no such thing as "reference sound".
There isn't even a true consensus on what that means...
The only way you can have a "reference of sound", as that is "reference sound" is to have every set of ears agree that one sound delivered by one gear, is THE Reference.
What would that be?
So, when all makers of gear have their "reference sound" and none it sounds like the next "reference sound", made by the next company that makes "reference sound gear......then what do you have?
You have marketing hype that sells a lot of gear for a lot of companies who sell you THEIR "reference sound".
Remember when Audeze sold you their "reference sound", LCD-1?
is it?
no.
It's just theirs...
See, there is no such thing as "reference" in the sense of representing with photographic likeness, any sound.
This does not occur.
A Recording is an attempt to capture a sonic event.
Live, .... does not sound like digital, and it never will, but, digital can sound like a really good representation of "Live".
So, when you are a studio professional, you will have your gear that that you use to get the end result that is the sound you are after...
That is "your sound",, and if you make some hit records, your recordings become known as "your sound".
A Mastering engineer, has their sound and people go to Bob Ludwig because they want their record to have "His sound".
But his sound is not "reference", its just His sound and Bob Clearmountain has His sound, and on and on.
All that is......is YOUR Reference sound, or sonic preference.
None of it is "right" as there is no such thing, as only individual ears determine this, per person.
IN the last 7 yrs, a software called AUTO TUNE< has become a VOCAL EFFECT, and i despise it. I hate it. I hear it on all vocals now.
Its that plasticy, Robot sounding, effect, on every vocal genre`, except for Classical music, as that is still not allowed.
So, as a engineer, you train your ears to hear what is going to sound good to most ears who hear it, and that sells it.
You learn to do this by mastering your gear, including knowing how your speakers or headphones are EQ shaping sound, and you work with that, and end up with the finished product.