Are you troubled by the imaging of a symphony orchestra?

The SQ is good but it is troublesome the not hear the violin section on the left, the violas and celli on the right, etc.

Are you referring to older recordings where minimal mic's don't pick up the instruments evenly? There were the three mic recordings, then later 10 to 12 mic's were employed, making for more realistic imaging.

but it is troublesome the not hear the violin section on the left, the violas and celli on the right, etc.

Can you explain, where are these instruments located when listening?
 I always hear string sections on the left and right. In a resolving system you can hear when strings form a semicircle in front of the conductor.

Some labels get imaging right; Decca, Philips, Chandos, RCA Red Seal, to name a few. Telarc, excellent sonics but has the 2/3 back seating and an unnatural hall ambience (but I kind of like it). DG does not get it, with it’s overmic’d unrealistic presentation. It’s not even first row, it’s a wall of sound. And Karajan’s meddling ruined some of his great performances. Post 2000 they’ve gotten much better.

Many recordings offer an up front listening position using a close multi-mic setup. You hear the different sections without much space between them and a less 3 dimensional presentation.

I like being half way back in a lively hall, instruments in their proper place with a sense of space. A good recording will have the horns behind the strings. Many engineers can’t mic and mix horns correctly, the end product has the trumpet and trombone in the string section.
And yes, I was regularly going to hear live classical before Covid. No recording captures that experience. Some of the smaller labels using proper minimal mic techniques can get somewhat close.

+1 @melm 

My memory of sitting many rows back I still seemed to be aware of section placement. Especially watching the conductor as they notify cues all around.

This is why I like mid hall seating. I hear the proper placement of instruments, yet the orchestra presents a cohesive sound.

@mglik 
Can you describe the image that you hear on recordings?
Are these older or modern recording techniques?