Importance of Soundstage/Imaging

I agree with mezmo that many of these attributes are interdependant on each other. ALl speaker setups have a timbre for example, good or bad, liked or not. ALl the rest are a bit more elusive and happen perhaps more in perceivable degrees, whereas differences between timbres are inherently much more complex. Plus factor in the complex effects of room acoustics and on/off axis listening for example.

Phew!! Its a wonder any of us know a good speaker when we see one although we'll know whether we like it or not more quickly once heard.

1. Coherence
2. Timbre
3. Detail
3. Openness
3. Bass
3. Dynamics
4. Imaging
5. Air

At first I had considered timbre most important, but I've heard incoherent speakers before and they bothered me so much I didn't even notice if they had proper timbre. The coherence anomaly was far too distracting to notice any of the other attributes. So for me, coherence tops the list. Big tie up for third place.

1-Timbre 2-Coherence 3-Imaging/Soundstage 4-Dynamics 5-Bass 6-Detail 7-Openness 8-Air. I added Soundstage with imaging because IMO there intertwined. Detail/Openness and Air are Hi-Fi terms not what you hear when at a live performance. If you get the first 3 right the perception of Air/Openness will be there provided you have a capable tweeter. Lastly I associate resolution much more with Timbre then Detail.

I'm getting very tired of being aware of two large floor standing boxes in our living room. My goal is to find speakers that present a sort of “curtain of music” as close as possible to live performances. I don't want to be thinking of any of the things on your list. I simply want to listen to MUSIC! When I attend a symphony concert or listen to a jazz combo in a club, or hear a rock or country group live in a club, all I'm hearing is the music.

I never think of “audiophile” terminology, thank goodness.

The only thing that's a problem for me is if the music in a given venue is TOO LOUD!

The last few rock concerts I attended, Springsteen, Dylan, and Kings of Leon pretty much blew my eardrums out. I cannot afford that any more. :)

My quest is for the speaker of my dreams, coupled to the audio components which will realize this dream. The dream is to have a system which makes me forget all the audiophile buzz words and criteria.

Tubes, SS, I don't really care at this point. All I want is the MUSIC!

After about 30 years of audiophile neurosis, please, just give me the music.

Thank you.

Ps, you sound like a candidate for Ohm's.

FWIW, I was at a home recently where the owner had a pr of Bose 901's set up with the front a few feet from the wall with the one driver at the back pointing at his listening chair.
Actually did not sound bad.