if one accepts the premise that live unamplified music is a valid reference, the experience of listening to live music is binaural.
i don't remember hearing the sound of a piano behind my head when attending a piano recital, in a large hall.
also, what does the representation of timbral accuracy have to do with the number of channels.
it is possible to create realistic timbre with one quad esl.
now, back to the issue of digital. a good source is a good source, whether it is analog or digital.
close your eyes and decide whether a recording of a piano, e.g., sounds like a real piano, to what ever degree.
the source is much more important than the stereo equipment.
there are many decent examples of vintage (pre 1990) digital gear and some examples of decent current digital gear.
the problem with today's high resolution components, is that they expose the flaws of recordings to a greater degree than some of the older components with less resolution.
so pick your poison--euphonic coloration to cover up the sins of many digital recordings, or todays high resolution, less colored digital devices which are more accurate as to revealing what's on a recording.
