My first teacher was Garritan Personal Orchestra 5! I did not like the dry sound out-of-the box, and I struggled to learn all the instruments and their ranges, how to create my own small sections and big ensembles, plus how to apply the right amount of reverb, depending on the situation! It was a very good lesson from a low-cost teacher!
Recently I upgraded to EWHO Gold, and the quality of the sound is so much better of course! Still I am learning, but this time is so much more enjoyable, so many amazing sounds to explore!
But in the end you have a point (about me) because I am not a professional musician or a music teacher! I am composing songs for other people to listen to! That's why I am searching now for an all-in-one sketch library: for faster / bigger / better results!
Still I am happy I followed the "proper" road, first learning all the individual different orchestral instruments and then proceeding to the full ensembles solutions!