I has a question:Why are mutliple speakers needed to experience surround sound? Since we only have 2 ears, why can't this be done with just 2 speakers?
Two ears with omnidirectional perception. Generally speaking, we can tell what direction something is in based on where sound it makes originates from. Surround sound just adds to the movie experience, but yeah, 5.1 is an outdated setup. They make them in two strips nowadays.
It is possible to mock it up with two sound sources, but it takes some extra tech effort. It's probably easier to fake it with multiple speakers than simulate real directional inputs.