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So you currently have four power meters? That must be a ball ache altering all their figures every time you upload to training peaks, or do you apply an error multiplier to each one to make sure your results from various rides are consistent? Or, I'd bet, you ignore the difference and get on with your life? In which case, of course Stages is fine. Carry on. Be happy.
hippy-
Correct, there's no need to alter the figures really. The difference in reading between them isn't different enough to bother doing it. The power2max reads highest, both are on the same crank arms, same bottom bracket and same rings. Then the stages, then the powertap, but that's always going to read lower than a crank based meter.
So take it that you're 2% inaccurate even if you were riding at threshold for an hour that's a difference of 14 watts across the range of that 2% that your power meter admits that it can be incorrect by. Then take into account that no one here is Sky, or anywhere near world tour and at best British 1st category riders that are riding while having a job or at uni or similar. You can manage your form and performance perfectly well from tss planning, and ctl/ atl management they are accurate enough for pretty much everyone.
Slack
So you say, having never used one or having no personal experience of one.
See, training with power is great. But it's only relevant to yourself if you're actually using for training and not just waving watts in the pub.
Really it makes no difference how accurate your power meter is, literally none at all if you're using it for training. What makes a difference is consistency. If it is consistently accurate or inaccurate it matters. As long as it gives the same number for the same effort every time then it's ok. It makes no difference if your power meter is saying 300 and John is saying 330 and Jeffrey's is 390. As long as they are consistently accurate to themselves.
Now, I've used a stages, and I still do. Along with 2 power2max and a current power tap. I've owned 2 gen 1 power2maxes, 2 gen 1 stages, 3 generation 1 powertaps. To be fair, stages were unreliable at launch but I've had no problems with my gen2 and would recommend them to anyone. As long as you are aware that your powertap will always read lower than your power2max or srm and you know to adjust your effort upward or downward to compensate then it's fine. It's no different to a stages reading higher or lower for any given effort as long as it is constant in that reading, and they are.
I know it's popular to hate them, and that's fine if you want to jump on that band waggon but it's simply not true anymore that they're rubbish or a toy. Given that you can pick them up for £380 or what ever online then they are cheap enough, at half the price of both my power2maxes.
I've just had a look at prices, while a power2max seems cheap on the face of it. If you haven't already got a crank, once you include arms, rings, bolts and a bb it's almost twice the price of a stages including a new ultegra crank. Bear in mind you'll end up with a better shifting , lighter crank for half the outlay of a power2max given the euro/pound rate at the moment.