In my experience, titles with legit, dedicated 5.1 remixes where an engineer mixed the tracks specifically for 5.1 (e.g., Steven Wilson for the King Crimson albums; J Guthrie for Pink Floyd) can be amazing. The 5.1 of DSotM and KC’s Larks Tongues in Aspic and Discipline albums are in that “amazing” category. I’ve loved all 3 albums for a long time, but the 5.1 mixes were transformative for me. The Bitches Brew 5.1 (Japan SACD) is also pretty cool and not obscenely expensive if you lump it in with a larger purchase from Japan.
Anything short of a dedicated 5.1 remix isn’t much different than playing the stereo source through a receiver w/ a simulated “surround” playback option. That also can be interesting but not quite the same. Indeed, that’s how I feel about Apple’s Atmos mixes. Interesting, sometimes better, but sometimes much worse bc it takes all the punch out of some recordings.
