I don't think so. Lot's of people enjoy the soundstage effect.
@rabski is a huge fan.
I listen mostly to classical but I also enjoy the stereo stage with jazz and other genres.
I'm more than just a fan Ric. To me, it's one of the mainstays of a decent system. The tonal balance, details, etc. need to be correct, but the perception of instrument placement is an absolute 'must' for me.
Obviously on a lot of studio albums it's an artefact, but on live recordings it shouldn't be. Even if it's 'artificial' the recording engineer obviously intended it to be like that, so that's how it ought to be reproduced. I want a system to do better than just sticking the drums and the guitarist in the 'right' place. If I close my eyes, I want the speakers to disappear, the sound to appear to have no point source, and the spatial image to have width, depth and height. I've pretty much got it how I want here. I could do with possibly a bit more depth and height, but there's enough to make it sound 'real'.
What always surprises me is how much the whole chain of the system contributes. Obviously speakers, room and speaker placement are crucial. Yet I've had plenty of amplifiers here that seem to turn 3-D into 2-D, whereas others really open up the image. Worse (non-believers please turn away now), some speaker cables seem to do the same.