I imagine that folks who are in to movies are more interested in having something that will shake their chandeliers when the Death Star explodes, than being concerned with 'front to back depth' and 'imaging'. Dialog recognition is probably important. I've listened to a few systems (friends) where dialog is difficult to determine, due to all the other stuff going on in the soundtrack. I don't know if that is a system limitation, or how the DVD was mixed. Most dialog is banal, so I guess it's not that big a deal in most movies.
Of course, given my experience with hi-fi, I admit that I don't relate to home theater very well. It's my own fault and my own limitation, for sure.
When I started the hobby, dealers had a wall of loudspeakers, and you'd flip a switch in order to demo. Then, pack up the box and listen to it in your home. Swap it out if you didn't like it. Rinse and repeat.
Now, with the dearth of brick and mortar, and many locations not even having a dealer in the immediate area, the process is completely different. For installations at the highest level, and for home theater, and at these prices, how could it really work? I mean making comparisons? The NBA point guard probably just has his agent call an installer and once the road trip is over, expects to be able to come home and enjoy whatever has been installed. I can imagine that happening more than not.