Looking for the next level in imaging...

First i dont like albums too much mixed in studio...😊 I listen classical and jazz...

Second you got it wrong right here : the room acoustics and your acoustic room/ears parameters will translate the sound imaging and soundstage recorded by the recording engineer set of trade-off choices for you in a wrong or in a good way... The recording so good it is will be acoustically deformed or well rendered, but  it is all related to your speakers/room content /listener position  and the right balance between absorption/reflection/diffusion...( the bass problem must also be solved ) ...

Most people dont even know that because their system/room is so mediocre that the soundfield is almost captive of the speakers plane ...😊

But the acoustic information must be in the recording to begin with , here you are right. But you lost it when you forgot that the acoustic coupling parameters of the speaker /room must be tuned to gave to us ALL acoustic information in the recording to begin with...

A good dac cannot replace speakers"room acoustics. Even the powerful Choueiri dac will not do it but will help you to do the speakers/room right ...

@mahgister Please answer this simple question. A recording of a trio. Guitar, Bass and Sax. The recording engineer has mixed the final tape to have all three mics/instruments playing an equal signal from left and right channel. This puts the sound of the recording with all three instruments in the center of the stage. Are you claiming there is any stereo equipment or room treatment, or combination of each that will produce a playback in my listening room where the three instruments are spread out across the room, and for good measure, the sax is in the center and five feet in front of the guitar and bass? That is what I called into question with the statement, if it’s not on the recording, it’s not in your listening room. Cheers.

It is common place fact that you cannot create inexistent acoustic information which is not already recorded but a bad room will impede and/or deform this acoustic information ...

My contention remains, it is in the recording, NOT in the system or room treatment. Those can only improve what is on the recording, but not create what isn’t there.

the problem is that the speakers/room content/ears is the main factor in the translation of the recorded acoustic information through your your room/system acoustic parameters ...The dac price matter but is secondary compared to the acoustics parameters... That is my point ...Most people think that the dac will do miracle....What they call the recording is the bits in the dacs...What i call the recording is the acoustic trade off choices chosen by recording engineer ( or the mixer)

A common place evident fact do not replace acoustics.. 😊

And in any stereo system even in top acoustic room there is some spatial acoustic information that cannot be translated acoustically right. It is why the Choueiri filters are more than a tweak or a gimmick. It is acoustics science fact...

But it is evident that the information must be in the recording AS ACOUSTICS INFORMATION recorded by the engineer... Nobody can dispute that ...

Reading your post i know that you know what i spoke about. Then i apologize because  i commented one line of your post out of context ...

@mahgister  There's a lot of love in this room.  🤣

😊

I agree that a lot of studio recordings are two dimensional. The images sound great but they all line up in one plane. There are exceptions like that Blue Turk, that I mentioned- really good recording from the early 1970s. Cowboy Junkies‘ Trinity Session was recorded with a stereo mic in a Church. It has a great spacious soundstage that sounds fantastic on modest and grand stereo systems.

I stream a lot of music on Qobuz now.  The music produced by the big name studios has much better dynamics and 3D soundstage vs. a lot of these lessor known studios.  Voices will move to the left or right and then back to center on some songs by less well known bands.  But I still love all the music, the large selection on Qobuz.  A number of gems to be found.

I appreciate live recordings more with my current speakers. The large spacious soundstage of live recordings come across as interesting and enjoyable.