The enhancer is specifically to provide stereo spread, that's its job. It might sound like a depth thing to you and that's fine, but it is what it is by design, can't really argue that. If you're using a single mono cab but running the enhancer on it, the issues are much more minimal unless you're on extreme settings, but stereo hard-panned cabs or hard-panned double tracked guitars is a different story entirely. If you threw it on in the context of an actual recording where you've got a much more controlled environment for hearing these details, you'd probably notice the smearing effect, the decreased focus, and the decreased punch of the signal.
You're the only guitar player, and if you read my post you'll see that I already stated if you're the only player it's a more viable option. That's great that you heard Steve's stereo delays at a show once, but you can't argue physics and science. There are people who are going to miss out or get a really skewed view of your stereo image all over a venue. I've been one of those people many times. Some venues are much better than others, of course, but again, you're relying on a pretty large number of variables when you're running stereo. Let me explain why...
Playing mostly small venues like you stated isn't evidence that stereo always works well. You're missing my point there. I said the stereo field is practically non-existent. I did not say that you won't hear the other side of the ping-pong delay/stereo chorus/etc. at a small venue. These are two different things. Sure you're going to hear both sides of the delay, but it's still going to be a pretty narrow stereo field compared to a recording because you're so subject to audience placement. If the room is narrow and the speakers are in the corners, you've got a better scenario. If the room is wide or long and the speakers are closer together, you've got a worse scenario. That's just the way the physics work. For a minority of people in the room, you're running a decent sized stereo field. For the rest of the room, you're essentially just running two slightly different mono signals. Nothing wrong with that, it can still sound cool, but again, it is what it is.
I'm not telling you that you should go back to running mono. If it works for you, it works for you. I'm just supplying you with the facts of the tools you're using.
Thank you, but like you say what I'm doing is working perfectly. And I couldn't possible go 'back' to running mono, because I genuinely can't remember when that was, it was a seriously long time ago.
I was merely explaining the fact that it works for me and for many others including lots of pro players at the highest possible level. So the info you are supplying, on paper don't necessarily translate in real life in many cases. I refer back to many other threads on here where folk rant on till they're blue in the face about how stereo setups just won't work in live environments, and are very dismissive of it, love to hammer home the 'science' of their opinion, (not for a minute implying are one of those by the way, you already commented on the benefits of it). I do feel it's necessary to point out the other side of the story to those who may be interested, from someone who's actually out there doing it week in, week out, and getting great results in all sorts of venues with different size/shape rooms. That's the only real way of checking it out, so to those who consider it, try it before reading the negative rhetoric and who knows, it could work for you too. Happy days!
