Is it possible to really know what you're doing?

@lanx0003 

I agree that a reference / standard needs to be established.  ... This includes precise imaging—where each sound source is rendered with a clear, stable, and locational presence within the soundstage

Those of us who mainly listen to ’classical’ music do indeed have a reference / standard in live, unamplified performances in concert hall acoustics. 

These concert hall acoustics however do not offer a clear locational presence within a soundstage especially if several performers are playing simultaneously.

Try a large-scale Mahler symphony where at times over 100 musicians are playing simultaneously, often loudly.  Even when Mahler throttles back to say, a mandolin solo, the hall acoustics still dominate directivity!  See the MBL reference in my previous post ...

Is it possible to really know what you're doing?

In relation to the above and as a result of my experiences had when it comes to the following:

Synergy   

the combined power of a group of things when they are working together that is greater than the total power achieved by each working separately:

No I do not know what I am doing !!!

The occurrence manifests with no knowledge of the impact to be encountered prior to making an addition that has the capability to produce an End Sound that has  a discernible difference for the quality of the End Sound and hence, create synergy.

Once having had the experience, I am then well placed to make a suggestion that in a particular system a use of a particular device created a End Sound that was spectacular.

Once having had the experience, I am not well placed to suggest doing identical in another system and listening space will create something that will transfer in quality to another system. 

@richardbrand 

I do concur that the standard or reference should be the live performance. However, if a stereo system can reproduce even better sonic quality or effects w/o artificial / overdone sweetening, I consider it a bonus rather than something unnatural. The reason is as follows:

In a concert hall, the sonic quality perceived by you and me is heavily dependent on the acoustic treatment and where you sit. Whether your experience is excellent or just so-so is subjective and can vary greatly due to these factors, making it difficult to use as a reliable reference for live concert sound. I am located in Palm Beach County, FL, and the concert hall I’ve attended is the Kravis Center in the City of West Palm Beach. Although the seating is very spacious and comfortable, I’ve always felt the acoustics leave something to be desired.  One time, we went to Miami New World Center, a relatively new concert hall (open in 2011) designed by renown architect Frank Gehry (designer of Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain).  That time, we were in less preferable sitting area but the sonic effect we had perceived is well better, closer to if not outperforming the experience we had in Berliner Philharmonie, home to the Berlin Philharimonic Orchestra.

Through proper recording techniques using multiple microphone placements and careful mixing, a live concert performance can be recreated more faithfully—without undue influence from the concert hall’s acoustics or the listener’s seating position.

I believe a heat map, like the one shown below, is one of the best ways to illustrate sound source imaging and spatial cues within the soundstage. More pin-pointed sources (such as a solo instrument) are represented by smaller contours with concentrated peaks, while larger, fuzzier contours with less dense peaks represent sections of grouped instruments in an orchestra. The deep blue areas indicate the dark background between sources, highlighting instrument separation.  Of course, the contour represents the depth of the soundstage.

Even the larger, fuzzier contours still retain their locational presence. I often cross-check whether the spatial positioning of instruments or vocals I perceive from the recording or stereo system aligns with the actual layout of performers on stage—when video or images are available. With a well-produced recording, the answer is often yes.

@lanx0003 stated  " In a concert hall, the sonic quality perceived by you and me is heavily dependent on the acoustic treatment and where you sit "

I have been to Concert Halls where Rock Music is produced Heavily Dependent on Electronics to create the Sound.

The End Sound from the PA System is directional, in the case of my being at the PULSE in 1994 at the Royal Albert Hall from a very distant recollection the PA was a large proportion Electrostatic Speakers, hence very very directional End Sound.

Solely Acoustic Sound is Omnidirectional and is very different in comparison to directional sound.

An Audio System, even with a expansive Sound Stage is really only a reminder of an experience when presenting a sound that may have been heard in a previous or later experience as an Omnidirectional produced End Sound.  

pindac makes a good point. The vast majority of music we listen to is electronically created and is a product of the producer's fantasy.

I prefer live recordings done in one take, preferably with one mic in a nice room and an experienced engineer. Good examples are recordings by John Cuniberti for his OneMic series.

There are plenty of really good live recording, especially classical and jazz. Pop music; not so much (not to say the recordings are bad, but they are artifices of the recording process and the resultant recordings are constructions that never happened in real time).

Not that it matters much. If you like it, it is good!