I have a Chesky test disc that has a track with the height test where a shaker is recorded with a single microphone going from low to high with the narrator teling you where it is. I definitely can tell in my system that the shaker is moving from low to high. The recording would have to be done with a single or two microphones to capture this natural soundstage. Most recordings now are done in a studio on a multi-track, recorded at different sessions even, so I doubt they reveal the soundstage this way. Some labels stresses the single mic approach in a natural hall like a church to recreate the live experience, notably Chesky and Mapleshade.
