if you think fake 5.1ch sounds better, not like better for enjoying action movies, you've never had exposure to a >$99 pair of bookshelf speakers with a non-USB powered class D amp. change my mind.
Huh? Who's talking about bookshelf speakers?
This is about laptop speakers that just pass audio directly through, vs. laptop speakers that process the audio including spatially. Yes, it sounds dramatically better. And it's not just about "fake 5.1" but even just mono or stereo.
External speakers are a totally different conversation.