Agreed with above comments about microphone positioning. Stereo recordings from that era didn't need to sound so claustrophobic but in most situations, engineers were fighting room conditions like reverberation and echo. The late 1950's RCA Living Stereo recordings were simply three track recordings but they were recorded in halls with desirable acoustics. Most likely, RCA were using Telefunken U47 microphones versus something on the cheap.
Older Jazz recordings
Help me understand something with older Jazz recordings. I really do enjoy jazz more and more, but I am also an audiophile. I have been listening to more jazz recently. I often search for "top jazz albums of all time" on google and then listen on Qobuz. But I am wondering why some of these older jazz albums have no soundstage? Like last night I was listening to Somethin Else by Cannonball Aderly. It is great album. If I just casually listen as I am working or playing billiards or something, it sounds great, but when I sit and listen on my system everything, every instrument was center focus, no separation. Just trying to understand why a lot of older jazz recordings are like this. I know I have listened to several where all I heard was sax from the left speaker and piano and drums from the right with absolutely nothing in between. I have other older recordings from Coltrane, Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck that sound fabulous and have a nice laid out soundstage as well. Just trying to understand why some of these great recordings sound so closed in or almost mono.
Thanks
Thanks