I started HT 5.1 since 1990. I had walls of equipment and still love HT experience.
There is not much sound difference between HT 2 chs and Hi-Fi 2 chs audios. They both have veil, glare and un-natural sounds. I think HT is much more enjoyable than 2 chs because in HT, I don’t have keep track for sound details, images, and stage like 2 chs. HT gives me everything in sound that I can truly relax (or exciting) and have a fun. Unless you must listen older CDs, you can listen so many music and movie in the internet.
I wouldn’t started 2 ch audio seriously if I knew the natural sound in reproduction audio doesn’t exist. I found it after investing so much money in 2 chs and 3 decades of effort later. Though I am glad that I started 2 chs now because I made the true natural sound audio system. Alex/ Wavetouch audio