As someone who has run a mono ULD-12 and then a stereo pair of them, I can tell you there is a difference. Just because the ear does not sense the direction of low frequencies, does not change the fact that the information in the low frequency signal may be (and often is) different between the left and right channel. Summing them to mono can and many times does cause cancellations and peaks due to phase cancellation.
As far as your professors having the answers, don't be so sure that because they are professors they have the answers. Ask them is two amplifiers that put out the same power sound the same? What about different speaker cables? Acoustic engineering is a specific field and just because you are an engineer proficient in EE or AE, doesn't mean you know squat about another field.
As far as your professors having the answers, don't be so sure that because they are professors they have the answers. Ask them is two amplifiers that put out the same power sound the same? What about different speaker cables? Acoustic engineering is a specific field and just because you are an engineer proficient in EE or AE, doesn't mean you know squat about another field.