Do NOT Blow Your Entire Budget on Two Channel Audio

I live through the same experience :desktop audio...

I did not lack anything really... I am not frustrated at all by the minimalistic system in hios acoustic corner and well embedded  electrically ...

My sound is immersive...

I have small speakers i modified ...

My main sacred audiophile system is headphone , but the small speakers are just behind it and beat all headphone i ever listened to save my K340 main audiophile system...

Desktop audio can be very rewarding and it’s usually much more affordable than typical 2 channel audiophile systems.

My initial foray into desktop audio: Laptop into xDuoo TA-30 (tube) or my Astell&Kern SP2000T (SS) DAP (digital audio player used for both desktop and portable). My headphones are Focal Clear and Audeze LCDi4.

Not working on surround sound now, farthest I got was Anthem units minimum quality and Trinnov seems like the very best processor. Currently working on optimizing my Ethernet chain: audiophile switch, cables, filters - not easy to keep a lid on the costs.

@kennyc 

My desktop system is posted in my profile. I'll check out the Audeze, which were just acquired by Sony!

https://www.techradar.com/gaming/ps5/sony-acquires-audeze-in-move-towards-more-high-end-ps5-gaming-headsets

I gave up listening to movies through high end receivers decades ago. I haven’t invested into a streamer or any digital device other than a transport and PW Dac. I rarely listen to digital anything. So, why not? Because for me vinyl is still king, and funny thing; Vinyl preceded all these other formats by many decades. Interesting. 

If I had to drop stereo and had a choice of Atmos or high quality mono, I'd pick mono.  

This new object stuff is too artificial from the demonstrations I have heard. Probably not the technology, just what has been introduced.  Now, if you go back to the 60's and the research AR did on how many discrete channels it takes to actually provide a realistic 3D soundstage ( 16 if I remember) and figure out how to record them, let me know. It would also require a spec listening room which would make it useless to me even then. Still, I'd love to hear it. 

My HT is a 5.1. Small room so not suitable for more advanced arrangement. I don't mind the rears, but it is only a few movies where the surrounds are not fakey.  Not as bad as 3D video, but not far off.  All my other systems are stereo, or at least two channel as a lot of my music is R-L, not stereo.  Beatles anyone?  Yea,  on my desk I need to play with cross-talk some. Nearfield, close boundaries. Horrible imaging.  I winder what a Schiit Syn would do with a center above my monitor?

I have not experienced BACCH filtering. I'm not aware of any available product or what requirements it puts on the playback system.  I listen in my living room, not a special built listening room and I am not sure I want a laser tracking my head.  

PS: Audiophiles do have a budget.  When we were young, we were poor so that set a limit. Now we are older,  if we want to stay married.  

PPS: I did hear a reproduction, stereo, that was almost believable. If you closed your eyes, it was close enough to real it might fool some.  Upright bass, 2-mic to a Revox, played back in the same room on B&W/Levenson etc.  Best I have ever heard, but it was an un-mastered direct half track tape.  Circa 1980, so how far have we really gotten?   

I'd take high quality mono over mediocre stereo.  If I needed 7 speakers I could never afford the quality I can with just 2.  I also don't have the space or inclination for a digital processor that'll cost a lot, has a million functions that will break, and will be obsolete in a few years.