when I am in a good location, and running XY I get a great center image. some folks may call it mono-ish. Me, I dont like hearing distinct left and right info on my stereo. I like it to all just come from distinct locations, just like reality only w/o the physical object projecting the sound (like an amp on stage, or a drum kit).
the 414s, or any LD mic, have such a great shine when it comes to capturing that sense of space when run coincident. Of course, blumlein is king. Its much more open sounding than XY. I used to hate XY recording as well. I used to say that it sounded like the music was focasing right between my eyes, and I didnt care for it.
then I owned a few high-end stereo mics, like the c422, which is basicaly a couple of 414 capsules mounted coincident and fixed that way. It opened my eyes up to the virtues of XY, M-S and blumlein. I now come to prefer this setup most of the time. When I run NC methods, I find that I dont get that sharp imaging that I really enjoy. Unless you are right on top of things, then it (say, ortf) can sound as tight as XY. But you need to be on top of the source, like stage lip or just a few feet off.
