Mmccoy, if I'm reading you correctly, it sounds as though you believe your system was re-creating the soundstage at one time, but that it's ability to do so has degraded. In my experience, a change like this is the result of changes in room acoustics, an aging phono cartridge (but you say you're using CD as your source), or, more rarely, aging tubes that have become very mismatched in a circuit. Would you say that anything has changed with your equipment or with your listening room (changing furniture can have an impact)?
More generally, I find that the starting point for excellent re-creation of soundstage (both lateral reproduction and layering in depth) are one's speakers, followed by the source equipment (whether analog or digital). Room acoustics are always a factor, but I've found that one can get good lateral placement in most rooms -- its the accurate recreation of depth that is most tricky to obtain consistently.
More generally, I find that the starting point for excellent re-creation of soundstage (both lateral reproduction and layering in depth) are one's speakers, followed by the source equipment (whether analog or digital). Room acoustics are always a factor, but I've found that one can get good lateral placement in most rooms -- its the accurate recreation of depth that is most tricky to obtain consistently.