13.2, 5.1 and so on. "the best seat in the house"

@petg60 

+1 on SACD, the roadblock is the recording. World of difference between a recording remastered for SACD vs one recorded for SACD. Smallish available catalog is another drawback along with cost.

There is a growing catalog of music mastered in atmos which is snowballing. Object based atmos mixes are backward compatible with 2, 5, or 7 channels if you don't have height speakers yet.You can even use headphones.
 

I guess you never saw Pink Floyd 50 years ago.

but nothing coming from the rear.

Well for a start that is entirely wrong. Unless of course you are out in an open field. There is always going to be sound reflected from the rear wall. You are just not aware of it. 

That is exactly what Dolby surround creates from a stereo (so sorry, stereophonic) source. (Yes that bracket is sarcasm!)

Music is far more critical than movies, so you'll need a superior system. Start with similar speakers that produce a similar sound and all channels critically balanced.

If there is any harshness from the speakers, it will be even more evident with additional speakers. Perhaps that is the reason millercarbon called home theatre sound crap (his word, not mine).

It takes a lot of effort, but when you get there it was worth it.

@fuzztone

Funny you should mention Pink Floyd, I use the same active speaker layout they used at Abbey Road when they mixed this (except the ceiling subs):

OP, you should watch this, the same team that did the ORIGINAL stereo mix are telling you that immersive (with height channels, NOT 7.1) blows every other format away.

Not funny. Floyd had speakers in the boxes and balconies. As opposed to the OP's limited experiences. Also try Love at The Mirage, speakers in the headrests...