I see. I never downloaded these speedsubs nor knew they existed, because I had a choice. I could download high quality content, which I did. Back then I was never forced into crappy subs.
Today options are limited for many different anime, where you get one or more choices and all of them are just okay, not keeping up with the standard a decade+ ago.
At least professional subs today are better than fansubs in the 80s and early to mid 90s.
Well, back then you mostly just wouldn't have heard much at all about most of the kinds of shows which just get an official sub and no fansubber attention.
Venture into the realm of even slightly obscure and you generally have ... zero to one choices of script translation, usually. To this day, even.
Today options are limited for many different anime, where you get one or more choices and all of them are just okay, not keeping up with the standard a decade+ ago.
At least professional subs today are better than fansubs in the 80s and early to mid 90s.