Disturbing "Sonic Trend" showing up on SOTA audio

Well said Frogman. I agree with your thoughts. A deliberate blending of sounds occurs naturally in live performances, and is likely to be purposely engineered into many recordings.
I don't think there is any particular virtue in complete isolation of different instrumental lines unless the mix is so dense as to nearly obscure a particular instrument almost completely, making the listener strain to hear it.

"Pinpoint" imaging is possible live or in a studio as in recordings but not likely in most cases. So its resaonable to expect it is possible but not resaonable to expect it as a genral attribute of all or even most recordings.

The blending mentioned above, not pinpoint imaging, is the norm and its extent is based on many factors case by case.

I said this before on a very old thread: I sat in a small church not five rows back
and dead center to listen to a period piece played with period instruments. There
were only three instruments. It was impossible to discern any kind of distinct
imaging. The sound was homogenous. The acoustics were really great though.
Lots of hall ambiance, tone and presence.

The only thing that was certain was the tone, timing, and ambiance. It was
emotional and uplifting, but not at all what I hear on my system, save for the
tone, timing and ambience.

For those reasons alone that's all I look for in my system and it succeeds
admirably. I would even go so far as to say that most systems here on A'gon
achieve that purpose but folk are obsessed with imaging, which can only be
appreciated when done in a studio.

All the best,
Nonoise

It's just another aspect of recordings that can make things more enjoyable
when done well. MBL done right in a larger room is the best I have heard
to date. Same system in a larger room done not so well not as impressive.

Very well put, Frogman!