I think that as most people just want a 'compact boom box' these days it's rather pointless trying to separate stereo when the drivers are literally a handful of centimetres apart..

Just have one driver and make it bigger, so more boom.

I've probably completely missed the point, Geoff Martin will interject with something technical, and I'll crawl back under my stone again - but that's my thought on it.  :)

People are giving up on stereo because they are lazy and cheap, and it takes a lot of,... you know,... like,... space?  "Heck, this other cute one still *Plays* *My* *Music*, right?"  Besides, if you are going to buy a tiny speaker and wedge it onto your kitchen counter, in the corner, shoved back echoing between the countertop and the upper cabinets,... well, who the heck *cares*?  

Seriously though, it's pretty basic: the difference between no-music vs. having-music, is much much greater than the difference between mono music vs. point-source stereo music vs. separated channels.  And in some places, like the kitchen in my example, arranging stereo for multiple areas is tricky.  People just don't get that they could buy 6 speakers and play them all less loudly, then arrange them for sink, stove, and table stereo images, plus a decent L/R vs. R/L "traveling" image.  Even understanding, they still don't want to bother or don't want to spend the money.  It's just too much trouble, if all you really want, is to whistle while you work.  Apply the same only-slightly-exaggerated scenario to other rooms of the house.  Just grab a speaker, toss it wherever you are.  Lather, rinse, repeat.

The same question gets asked of Sonos, where the Play:1 is cute and compact, vs. the Play:3 and the Play:5 try to do stereo from a single box.  At least with Sonos, the answer seems to be "so just buy one Play:1, and if you don't like mono, buy a second one and pair 'em to stereo."  (That's even true of their Play:5; if you turn it vertical it goes mono, then you add a second unit.)  The Bose Wave Radio is another example of point-source stereo.  B&W Zeppelin, Naim MuSo, same idea.  At least the A6 aimed the speakers slightly outward so it would sound 2-channel at a medium distance.  I have heard all four; all are "just fine."  I happened to like the A6 best.  Does stereo matter?  I dunno...  To me, it only sounds "right", i.e. stereo image w/non-exaggerated bass, if you place them away from the wall, and sit 4 feet away.  But that's just me.  I put 6 ceiling speakers in a kitchen once...  They liked it.  But they also added a Play:3 in the corner of their dining room.

Because modern music is so bad...hearing it out of two speakers would be twice as bad.

Even upgrading to *bad* surround generates a result that (some people think) is perfectly OK:  Have you ever pressed the 5-speaker button on a Bose Lifestyle remote?  It does some processing to generate a Center and pushes some kind of signal into the Left/Right Surrounds.  The rear channels even have their own volume up/down buttons, so it was clearly intended for such "party" use, as it sorta kinda fills a living room with sound(s).

Surely a 'proper' stereo system gives you the best of all worlds. Stereo in the sweet spot, and 'surround' or background when you are standing or sitting anywhere else. In small rooms BL3500's can achieve this, and if Masterlinked together you get a smooth sound transition moving room to room.

There's mention of the Bose Wave Radio above. I have a Mk 1, still in regular bedroom use. Updated with Chromecast Audio it’s output is remarkable. Bose never made any special claims about the Wave R. being Hi Fi etc but it does have a remarkable stereo output, including bass, from those plastic waveguides!

Graham

Jeff wrote:

Because modern music is so bad...hearing it out of two speakers would be twice as bad.

You could also argue, that the hearing of the slippers and pipe generation is so bad that they need two speakers.

MM

beopaul wrote:

Are people giving up on stereo because sitting in the sweet spot is too limiting? 

How often do you sit in the sweet spot, when listening to music/music is on???

I do occasionally, but not always - that is the reason why I have both options at home.

MM

I've just purchased a second A2 Active as I am keen to have at least the option of stereo when travelling/outside/in the garage/etc. Often in these environments it's far easier to find the 'sweet spot' for listening rather than in the clutter of home, when I always seem to be moving around and doing other stuff.

Also, I do appreciate good stereo separation in the car -  where let's face it, a significant proportion of many people's listening takes place.