You know, I think the most important clue to a great soundstage is when something is coming from the far left or right it does not sound like it is coming directly from the driver or even the front of the speaker itself. Instead, it should sound disconnected from it, maybe within the speaker itself.
Otherwise, the soundspace just collapses,
and you feel like you are hearing a pair of good radios.
(I've mentioned this before in this space.) Maybe I'm confusing staging with transparency, but I think they are are completely linked.
As an extreme example, try some of the early stereo Beatles albums
(the Capitol sets of Meet the Beatles, etc., or Rubber Soul), and see if you can get a driverless sound. (It's an acid test, as these are basically dual-mono recordings.) This is very difficult in most speakers.
Otherwise, the soundspace just collapses,
and you feel like you are hearing a pair of good radios.
(I've mentioned this before in this space.) Maybe I'm confusing staging with transparency, but I think they are are completely linked.
As an extreme example, try some of the early stereo Beatles albums
(the Capitol sets of Meet the Beatles, etc., or Rubber Soul), and see if you can get a driverless sound. (It's an acid test, as these are basically dual-mono recordings.) This is very difficult in most speakers.