I've had the experience, particularly at my previous house where there was a foyer to the listening room divided by French doors, where you'd be in that outside the room space, and it sounded like real instruments there in an uncanny way.
Go into the room, and it is more immediate, louder and you are hearing the system set up (for better or worse) front and center.
I'm not sure I'd use an "out of room" experience as a test of anything, but what you hear when you get into the room and the "sweet spot" (or whatever) is what that system sounds like up close and immediate. You'll hear more, for better and worse, there.
My current set up doesn't allow for quite the same thing; different house, different room. I do know when it is "on song" and when it is not. The audiophile question is always how much better could it be if.....
And I ask that question less these days than ever. Sure, it can be improved on a couple fronts I'm interested in exploring, but I'm familiar enough with the core components, having owned most of them a long time, to know that I'm getting quite a bit out of them.
The Jim Smith set up (or something comparable) would be where I'd place first money, over buying more gear.
