I think any comparison is a bad one, unless the people who are comparing have some idea about audio (and/or audiophiles).
I've done that, most here have done that, and its always ended in me cringing and gladly accepting whatever the other person has to say.
So now I take a look at the other person's existing collection first, and then am very cautious if dealing with someone who uses stock earbuds, is not musically open, or has no idea of what stereo sound is (I know one such guy, he uses a single portable/rechargeable speaker as his "audio setup", that too he got for free. Heaven forbid you have to deal with so much ignorance), or has broken equipment being used as is.