Soundstaging and imaging are audiophile fictions.

What's missing here is that a live performance is also a visual performance. What the hall does not really do, the mind does with the spatial cues from the eyes. Sure the sound may be more homogenous if you close your eyes and convince yourself of it but by using your eyes the "pinpoint" accuracy is evident. I have found that when a recording is good, it allows that visual cue that is reminiscent of the live venue through imagination. I think it is absolutely necessary, especially at the recording stage, to get this right. I recently was given my first SACD demo and wherever in the chain the fault lay it sounded like the hi-hat was 10' away from the floor tom and the bassist about 15' away from the guitarist who was standing exactly where the speaker was. What a mess. When it is done right you can look, with your minds eye, at the bassist where he would be on stage and listen more closely this time. Next time you get caught by the lick on the piano and the eyes physically dart away from the bass.(even when they are shut) It is by this precision that you hear something new each time.
Classical music most definitely has "soundstaging" and the very specific seating of the orchestra reflects that and is used by composers and conductors creatively for effect.

The key words of your statment are "I have never,NEVER heard".I HAVE. The effects you are discussing are created by electromagnetic improprieties in audio equipment. Remove the problems and its a whole new ballgame. I know what live sounds like I play it and my family were perfessionals. Live music has its own set of problems that is why old concert halls were rebuilt many times over. As of this year,I have heard recorded audio better than live, without all the problem you stated and without the problems associated with a live performance.

1st, I like nice location and depth, to the point that my T-hold rounds the corners, and my Cary squares them out, the SS is larger with the T-hold and smaller and more intimate with the Cary. I like it.

2nd, I go to a lot of live music, more than 20/year.

3rd, I heard awesome imaging at the Paul Simon concert, I sat directly behind the mix board, my prefered location, and it was un-real. (As in not real but awesome) I liked it. Keep in mind this was not accoustic but through the very nice sound reinforcement system at Pink Knob.

4th, This is the most important part: the sound you hear on disc vinyl, polycarb what ever is delivered to you, comes from what was heard through at least 2 mikes, spacing???, and usually many more. This is hologated into one phantom image and presented to you through YOUR amps, systems, sound treatements and however you have it set up. (Experience will vary) Is it accurate, absolutely, for a set of mikes, which don't hear like ears. They tend to, by design be directional usually. So no it's not real, but they do make up for some guy coughing, spilling beer on you, walking for a mile or more, cramped seats, and what ever else on puts up with in a venue, and offer up perhaps a bit more audio magic, real or not. If it were real, I would never go to concerts again.

5th and last- -
Per the originators statement, I agree I cannot pick out individual instruments at MOST venues, it does sound hologated and homogenized live, but the dynamics are often supperior, the energy is there, and the events are plain fun. While I find my audio system most satifing, it ain't live and it ain't close, but often times it does sound better. If ya can't get the crowd and all that comes with it I'll take better sound, better image, and no lines at the bathroom and enjoy them both.

regards to all

loontoon

Sometimes at live performances non visual spatial information/"imaging" can be inescapbly apparent. Quite a few experimental/avant garde compositions rely heavily on this fact. Performers can move to different locations in a recital hall and greatly alter how directional and tonal information is perceived. Sometimes at live performances you will get one big group of sounds that doesn't reveal a focused attack and decay of individual instruments. Most 'goners probably already agree that music doesn't have to have "pinpoint imaging or a well resolved soundstage" to work. If you like it, it's good.

A very valid point is that made by Stuartbranson: all the senses work together so that, ultimately, there is nothing like the live experience. Most significant is the visual aspect. Another good point IMHO is that the missing ingredient in home reproduction of music is ambiance. The knee-jerk reaction by a lot of audiophiles to multichannel is just that. So you will always have your proponents of obscure forces at work trying to get it right with vinyl, stereo, analog, magic cables of all kinds, vibration dampening devices and a myriad of other cures to non existent problems. The future lies squarely in multichannel systems, properly implemented, playing well recorded/mixed material. People are free to listen to whatever they want and to opine to their heart's delight, including rambling on about the miseries of digital, the shortcomings of Redbook CD reproduction, the battle between SACD and DVD-A as carrying the seeds of multichannel destruction, of Quadraphonics in the 70s, of the analogy with Betamax, of nature and the little tweety birds, I just hope that enough people will be interested in MC audio to make it work.