This is the type of reply that I was looking for, thanks.
Perhaps this is the problem. You were expecting experienced people to give you wrong answers and we would not do it. You took that as attitude.
You believe that amps can contribute significantly to imaging and they don't unless pushed into significant distortion or have significant impedance based frequency variation and distortion variation that manifests most in untreated rooms. Distortion can also gives a sense of space that while artificial is still pleasant to many.
In a room with well controlled reflections even a bargain basement speaker with cheap drivers, dicey crossover, and iffy cabinet, equalized will provide true imaging accurate to the source material better in most cases to competent accurate speakers in a reflective difficult room. In an untreated room, there are speakers that will image better than other objectively very good speakers by virtue of their designs that interact less with room boundaries.
However many (most?) won't accept perfect imaging at the expense of an artificial but pleasant ambient sound field ... and most due to the room have no choice.
Imaging and soundstage as most define soundstage are two competing not complimentary outcomes. That makes the question flawed from the start or at least imprecise.
So you see your question can't be answered without knowing your friends room in detail: size, furniture, rugs, etc. and what he may be willing to do, nor without understanding his personal preference in presentation.
The issue from where I stand is you are convinced there is a right answer and seem displeased we will not give you one while others know the answer is much more difficult to answer correctly.
