Interesting oldhvy, I'd be up for demo-ing that, although part of the enjoyment of two-channel listening, for me, is based on the characteristics of the "phantom image" and, when implemented ideally, the magic that takes place between two speakers.
Does anyone mix to mono just to hear instruments in the center?
I'm curious if anyone ever switches their output to mono just to hear instruments in the center of the soundstage. I'm thinking of Coltrane in particular. Most of his recordings have him mic'd on the left or right and I just want to hear the horn and all the transients coming from the center. Does anyone find this compresses the soundstage a bit and reduces the separation between instruments?