There is a blend of responses, but the far-field one seems to be the preference. All agree that the near-field "headphone" effect is the bigger "wow", but once this effect has been settled into, the far field is prefered as being more natural and listenable over the long term.

I really do enjoy the near-field rock-solid bigger-than-life effect as a once-in-a-while entertaimnment. But I can't listen like that for a long time, it gets unsettling.