Pin point imaging isn't for everyone

Good topic for a rainy day. Mapman made a simple point. Play low spark of high heeled boys then play any of the Pearl Jam bootlegs. The studio recording sounds so real it’s spooky and the ‘live’ recording sounds anything but. The whole point of stereo is imaging and I think the term pinpoint in this context means accurate or precise, not pin sized or pin like. Chuckle, never can tell how the net interprets. Ive had hi end speakers that image but not sound stage and I think thats where the bass comes in, just a thought.

Especially for some producers.
 I hear it on the bandstand playing acoustic or electric. Keep in mind front of house sound and live recording are usually different. 

How natural is pin point imaging in acoustic music?

Varies by program, venue, instrument and seat.

so there’s something to be said for speakers with rear facing drivers

All that can be said is "Don’t use them." Bose 901’s et al are an ’instrument’ in their own right as they are incapable of presenting, and only mess up, what’s on the recording. Unlistenable.

If the recording is mixed to precisely localize, the system must. If it can’t, then more nebulous recordings become a gigantic bucket of mush.

The 901’s had a great run and when you consider the selection at highland electronics superstore the Bose imaged as well as the big cerwin vega or the rest of the midfi stuff of the day.

@bdp24, I agree that if you are interested in a system that is accurate to what was recorded then the system should reproduce the soundstage as the studio mix intended you to hear it even though it may not be accurate to how the performers were actually arranged. That is if you have the ability to place your speakers in your room ideally. If it is a live field recording then it is how the performers were mic'd and then mixed. In both instances the soundstage could run the full gamut from pin point to diffuse. The question is do you like pinpoint positioning of the performers when listening or do you like to be washed in sound? Purchase and place your components so that they enhance your sound stage preference. Either way you still can purchase equipment / speakers that reproduce sound accurately. Accurate sound and soundstage in my opinion are two different variables that one considers when setting up a system which also must take into account the room in which you will be listening, in particular speaker positioning in regards to the room's boundaries.