This is true, those strings always sound fantastic in stereo, and those acoustic guitars are fabulous. However, there is a simple formula for stereo. It can only be heard effectively in an area that is an equilateral triangle based upon the spread of the speakers. Therefore, if the speakers are 30 feet apart, the triangular stereo effect area only extends to 30 feet directly in front of the speakers. Once you get outside that triangle, the effect is lost. Now, the overall sound quality is not lost, instead it becomes mixed, but still sounds very, very good. No argument there. The person that tends to benefit most from stereo is the performer himself. He, or she, is positioned in the perfect spot to enjoy that wonderful stereo sampling that Yamaha seems to excel with in several unique sounds.

And, you are right about the dance music - which is highly dependent upon the bass, drums and vocals, or lead instrument(s). Symphony is a totally different animal in this respect. Ironically, when I was a much younger man, I installed sound systems for a company called Executone. We put systems in very large theaters, locations where the Baltimore Symphony frequently provided concerts. All of those systems were mono - not stereo. We used vertical array sound columns in each corner of the venues, some weighing up to 150 pounds each and sporting a dozen or more 8-inch speakers in the sound column. They were suspended from the corners of the room and curved so the sound would project towards the middle of the venue. We then placed subs beneath the stage, and a circular array of speakers in the middle of he ceiling. It was a nasty, often dangerous job, and I only worked there for a year when I decided to quit before I ended up getting myself killed from an accidental fall. Just after I left, a scaffolding fell 30 feet to the floor or a large cathedral where three installers were seriously injured. One of them never was able to return to work because of his back injuries from that fall.

Cheers,

Gary