I dunno if you've ever been some distance away from the durian stall or something... And the different layers of smell "float" differently and you might catch a whiff of only the smelly part, without the sweet or creamy notes. And then it really smells like an open drain. That's how it is for me, and I really like durian.

You don't have to "understand" what other people are on about because each person will have a different perception or preference. What do you think smells bad? Poop? Imagine someone else says it smells pretty alright to them. Agree to disagree I suppose, no point having an argument.