I never had a Note 7, but I've had every other Note phone and had the Note 8.0 tablet. I didn't have the Note 5 for very long but it was a nice phone. What I've realized lately is that I must prefer the features that LG is offering. Durability is so much more important to me than aesthetics. Water proofing is just not important to me but I understand why it would be to some people.
Sound quality? Being an audio enthusiast, that is quite important to me. All my phones sound good.
Different reviewers will place a value on different things. My experience lately tells me that Apple and LG are making portable devices with qualities I like. Build quality, durability, and performance seemingly paramount.
My S7e is a gorgeous phone to behold. That seems hard to dispute but is subjective. Even my iPhone-loving husband has to admit that my silver S7e is a looker. However, to me, it seems almost fragile...and I'm not happy about the reports of the paint chipping off of the home button. ...I'm rambling.
It's too bad LG doesn't market their phones more. It seems they depend on reviews and word-of-mouth advertising.