Seriously? What makes DT standards so much more 'high-quality' than just 'standards'? It just honestly seems like you apply to authority(in this case, DT) in order to make your own standards more acceptable by other people.
Opinion. But frankly, I'm definitely one of the people who considers DT on a higher echelon of standards compared to other music. Their sheer musicianship is definitely the main reason, not only that, but the caliber of each and every band member. I mean, there are bands out there with exceptional guitarists, or exceptional drummers, or keyboard players, or vocalists, but to have a 5 piece band where each and every member is a god of their instrument, it's rare. And not only that, but they do make full use of their gifts, by bringing the full extent of their musicianship into their music, and exercise utmost creativity with the kinds of complex song structures as well as the actual musicianship.
To me, comparing DT to a band like, let's say, Megadeth, is like comparing Inception to something like Taken. Yes, Taken is an awesome action movie and excels at what it sets out to do, but Inception is more than just an action movie, it's an amazing visual and audio experience.
And I can understand why someone may want the former, based on what they're looking for in music. Personally, movie wise, I'd take Rambo and Taken over Inception or Dark Knight any day, that's just the kinds of movies I prefer to watch on a day to day basis. But that's my preference, I wouldn't say that Taken is a better film than Inception. Even though I still loved Inception, and still enjoy movies that are more grand, or that challenge my intellect, not just give me fighting and explosions.
But when it comes to music, the kind of experience and mastery that Dream Theater provides is something I can never get enough of, even though sometimes, I'm in the mood for something simpler.