Is imaging reality?

Some systems are better (more 'accurate' in a strictly subjective sense) than others at imaging, whether that's the gear itself or how well dialed into the room it is, or both, or neither. On the same track, three systems might reveal the bass player standing a couple feet in front of the trumpet player, while the fourth system might show the trumpet player a couple feet in front of the bass player. Never mind the question of which systems might be 'right' or 'wrong', that's a separate issue and is generally unknowable unless we were there or we have a verified picture of the original event. 

About all we can say is that more likely than not, there will be some variation or other in the sound stage reproduction...so, in that sense, imaging is not, strictly speaking, necessarily a direct correlation with reality...but, like everything else in the illusion of sound reproduction - when we say it's good, it can certainly seem to Remind us of our notion of what that original event might've sounded like.

To a certain extent, imaging can take the place of having visual cues.

Like most of the contributors I love to hear the individual instruments or groups of instruments across the soundstage on a well recorded CD. However a well recorded CD will produce sounds from the orchestra that you do not generally hear in the concert hall, whether you want to hear them or not. For example I recently played a bassoon concerto and could hear the intake of breathe from the soloist before he/she began the solo, the click of the keys ( I call them keys but I am sure there is an official term that I can't remember) and the shuffling of the players feet, all sounds you would be unlikely to hear at a live venue unless, perhaps you sat in the front row. Also I have found that, particularly on many jazz piano trio CDs, imaging is very artificial with drums out of one channel, bass out of the other channel and piano in the middle. In reality at a jazz venue the musicians are placed much closer together and the imaging , therefore ,is not as pronounced. So what you hear on a CD will rarely be what you hear at a live venue, whether it be imaging or extraneous sounds.

I enjoy artificial, "made up" soundstaging and stereo effects almost if not equally as much as the real thing.  Out-of-phase insanities, echo chamber overkill, multi-tracked vocalists, horse race pan-potting, etc., etc., are tons of fun.  Sure, sometimes it can be overdone more than a tad, but if it is done with panache it's a pleasure-and-a-half.

Interesting topic.  I have had season tickets to our symphony orchestra for over 10 years.  At times I have closed my eyes and imagined I was listening to a HiFi system playing.  Of course, it sounds like a very good system, but the imaging didn't really stand out for me.