I personally can tolerate crappy fidelity over a lack of soundstage and imaging. If a piece has excellent bass, midrange, treble and dynamics but instruments and singers are collapsed into the left and right speakers, I dislike the piece. I am more tolerant of collapse to the center.
On the other hand, if a piece has bad frequency response and dynamics but excellent images and large stage, I am more apt to add it to my library.
Between lack of fidelity vs. lack of soundstage and imaging, what offends you more when you are listening to music?
