Is soundstage DEPTH a myth?

@8th-note

'Santana's first album has a very good soundstage with the illusion of depth.'

Thanks for your post.

I have a near field setup and  listened to the first track (Waiting) a few minutes ago. Especially the drums, particularly Ridebecken or Hi-Hat, changing position from back left to forward mid is clearly audible to me. Closing the eyes supported the illusion. Nice experience indeed.

Hence, my answer is 'no' to the OP's initial question.

(First time I'm listening to Santana intentionally)

Cristina Vane (alt-country with fiddle) makes very fine albums with depth and width. Doesn’t make the mistake of bringing the drums forward or using only left or right channel for instruments thereby creating a natural and “live” soundstage.

Bon Iver’s The Wolves (Act I and II) listen for the ambulance. If you can hear it far away and then get closer your system can do depth.

Toddalin, I think your right about listening room waveform interactions.

     When I get a new CD I usually first listen on my standalone OPPO 83, Pontus II, Jot 2, Aria headphone system to evaluate all the detail, ambiance, tone/timbre, space around instruments/voices, base clarity, etc, etc.

    I'm often pleasantly surprised when I play the same CD on my OPPO 105, Bifrost 2, Pioneer Elite, Vandersteen CE 2, HSU sub, home theater, set for 2 channel...which has less of all the above but often very obvious added depth and height sounds,  Those original Chesky binaural recordings being the exceptions... best on phones.  Also engineered play with phase, I think, can put sounds behind me on the phones.  Very much enjoy both presentations!

most certainly soundstage depth is real, I suppose depending on your speakers and your positioning

with my old Epi 100 speakers, close my eyes and can discern drummer in back, singer ahead, sax over there to the left somewhere in-between depth, chorus to the right and back... and effects, even in music, that emerge up front but then fade up and away and off to rear space

with my new Heresy IV the effects range from dramatic like sounds zooming from way back in the distance towards the front and then wooshing overhead, or subtle like a guitarist stepping forward to play a solo and then back again, or a singer stepping forward to the mic, and even the sway of a singer's body or head movements in space both side-to-side and front-to-back.  It's palpable, and definitely has depth.