They do in name only. Faux ATMOS from only 1 soundbar or 2 speakers is not real ATMOS. It's just marketing terms when ATMOS is claimed but only a speaker or two are involved. There's likely some kind of technical truth in it (so it is not outright false advertising if legally challenged) but anyone's ears would definitely notice the difference between REAL ATMOS and FAUX. For example, you could visit EVERY professional ATMOS cinema in the world and you'll never find ONE with only 1 or 2 speakers down front for the audio. If faux ATMOS sounded as good, why wouldn't all those cinemas choose a much cheaper solution of two HPs or any number of cheap soundbars that also have ATMOS written on the box? (rhetorical: it's NOT real ATMOS).
TRUE ATMOS is going to have speakers all around you and above you too. Ears can tell the difference as readily as when there are sound coming from behind us, we know they are back there. Or we are able to narrow in on where a sound is coming from whether left, right, forward, back above or below. Technical trickery can fake us out to a modest degree but not completely.
Again, visit a professional cinema that is ATMOS before the lights go down and look around. There will be speakers all over the place. That's not solely because it's a bigger space. Real ATMOS requires speakers all around and overhead. Even Dolby Digital Surround needs at least some speakers a little behind the seating position.
That shared though, HPs as stereo/faux ATMOS can sound pretty good. If you haven't got to listen to them, I encourage you to go give them a listen. I mostly chimed in with other ideas because HP budgets can buy a lot of varying kinds of other speakers and some of them can bring things you can't get from HPs... such as a sub and/or actual surround speakers too. HPs also have a lot of "lock in" while other speakers won't be nearly so "locked."
