I have read a lot about speakers "disappearing" so that one can't tell from where the sound is emanating. But, what about all the stereo tunes where the recordiing engineer intentionally pans the music to come from one side or the other? Can the speakers be made to "disappear" in that situation? Or, is it just the nature of the particular recording?
Yes, even with panning, the speakers can still 'disappear;.
Even if the music itself is being panned, it can still sound as if it is not emanating from the speakers. There can still be a soundstage created by the speakers, in which the music is being panned within.