No offence, but this is faulty logic (Argument From Authority). The broad acceptance of some claim or action is not always a good indication that the acceptance is justified. The world being flat was almost universally believed (and apparently still is in some circles) before it was shown to be round. Akadama may or may not be absolutely necessary for top quality Bonsai, but just because it is used in them is not proof in and of itself. I do admit that the more I learn about Akadama the more it does seem it is almost ideal...but that does not mean there are not other materials that are close to, as good as, or possibly even better.
As an example: When I worked in restaurants, all of the professional chefs I encountered used stainless steel cookware. Is it the best, should I be using it at home? The answer is: not necessarily. SS is used because it is very durable & versatile and because of that less expensive for a commercial kitchen than some other options, and it does not matter how much butter/oil they use in a dish...but most importantly it is because someone else was cleaning it (yes, I started out as a dishwasher). At home I use non-stick...most of the time.
I would argue that many ideas and practices tend to get entrenched and/or regarded as sacred and as such become circular. It is popular so it get propagated until all (or most) the recognized 'authorities' do it, so it must be right...right? I see it all the time in my own field; "We have always done it this way" or "That is the way everyone else is doing it." They may or may not be valid, it is only through periodic review and fair evaluation of the available evidence and alternatives can we know.
No offence taken you are allowed to express judgement!
Have at it. However in all fairness I should indicate that I am not interested in a soil argument or philosophical sophistry!
The sentence you removed before the quotation referenced to primarily inorganic substrate! Your use of technical language seems to infer some education so the difference should be obvious when you exclude that from the overall context. No offence intended, just to let you know i have three university degrees and understand the terms you have used.
What little authority i have is based on my own research and experience with available components. I grow over forty species in my Nursery and use primarily Lava, granite grit, pumice, Akadama, Kanuma and Kiryu.
Occasional use of pine bark, charcoal, and shredded sphagnum moss.
Components that i have tried over the years and found wanting for my purposes are Napa 8822 ( DE ) , Sea Soil, Potting Soil, and coconut husk. The reason i found them unsuitable was the type of root systems developed in those substrates compared to the ones i could develop using inorganic substrate. iInorganic substrate are easier to sift to similar particle size, and suit the particular stages of bonsai development and species better in my experience.
I am after the healthiest tree's i can produce in my circumstances and i am willing to try new products or innovative methods. I think what gets lost in the turmoil is the fact that many substrates can be used in different circumstances ( very importantly different stages). Here in North America nursery stock is often grown in peat moss and pine bark. And for example in Western Japan pine Bonsai in training are usually cultivated solely in granite sand: akadama is rarely used. Show tree's in smaller pots with refined root systems are a very specific circumstance. Check out the visible evidence whenever you attend a major show!