Sound stage

Staging is a function of both recording and playback equipment. I'd also agree with previous posts that there's no "perfect" paradigm that you're seeking for all recordings. Highly processed or manipulated recordings can even cause you to sense images that seem to be coming from behind your head (check out many of the Qsound recordings for this effect).

Heavy pan potting (Theme from Shaft, among many others) can create shifting instrument locations that are part of the intended artistic effect. You can seek out minimally miked records for purist stereo effects, but that approach is too limiting (in terms of music that I enjoy) for me.

I'm also in the camp of using recordings (or test discs) that are known for center fill, width, depth, phase, etc. and set the speakers up so they're optimized as best as possible across all parameters and then just leave them there -- unless something else changes of course. Recordings vary across and even within genres (and even sometimes individual recordings!) so greatly -- for better or worse -- that trying to optimize for each recording just seems like a fool's errand with no end. I never move my speakers, and if there's an occasional recording where something seems off I'll try to correct it with the balance control. If that doesn't work I either just deal with it if it's a recording I still really want to listen to or I'll listen to it in my car or through another less critical system where the flaws not as apparent. Or it goes on the shelf to collect dust or gets sold.

At the risk of appearing petty, I think some might be confusing "sound stage" with imaging.

The OP refers to both despite the title of the thread.

^That's where the confusion started.:-).

For the sake of the OP: soundstage refers to the perception of the dimensions of height, width, depth, and the shape within those parameters. Imaging refers to the perceived individual placement and dimensions of the performers within the soundstage.

In some instances these attributes are due to attempts to capture a more literal recording of what occurred during the actual recording of the artists. In other instances the perceptions are the result of artistic(?) manipulation by the engineer(s). Yet, in other instances these perceptions are the result of combinations of the former and the later by the recording engineer(s).

The level to which these attributes can be appreciated by the listener depends on all of the above, and upon the users equipment, listening room, setup and positioning as well the individual listener's hearing.