How can I improve music listening with what we already have?

[KEW]

Okay, I got on my desktop.
I hear the same thing.
I listened to 3 different postings of the song and all exhibited the same effect. Of course they could all be copies from the same defective source.
It sounds like the might have added a little synth effect to her voice for the word "sound", but she may have done it that way with her natural voice.
However, I am surprised you would not hear it on your headphones. I'd suggest you revisit it listening for this particular thing. Do you have good headphones? You should hear it unless they are especially crappy headphones.

 

[KEW]

Oh, on the topic of your sub, I guess you have experienced it with your NHT's by now, but I am not too quick to suggest the Energy is crap. I have an Energy ESW-C8.
Sure, it doesn't go to 20Hz with authority, but it does what it does fairly well.
Looked up some measurements:
The blue curve is it's FR. -3dB at 30Hz and 170Hz according to the article. Looks like the port is tuned around 38Hz and they gave it a little hump to compensate for the drop off below. Not a great fan of that, but it is only a 2dB hump, so can't get too upset.

http://www.soundandvision.com/content/energy-take-classic-speaker-system-ht-labs-measures

 

[Potstickr]

Hi KEW,

Thank you for the link and for taking the time to listen to the YouTube link and comparing with other sources. Typically, I use Amazon Music and it sounds clearer than the YouTube example.

I listened to it a few more times over the weekend and you're right, it does sound kind of synthesized. With regard to headphones, I am using a $20 pair from monoprice that I picked up a few years ago because CNET said they were good, http://www.cnet.com/news/how-good-can-21-59-headphones-be/. They headphones sound decent to me, but I'm no expert, and the bass sort of masks the synthesized part of the "sound" lyric.

Again, I appreciate you taking the time to listen to it yourself. I have stopped scrutinizing that particular song and am now trying to learn more about Foobar2000, wasapi, and how to send music to my receiver, from my HTPC, without Windows 7 altering it in any way. I am still researching, but if you have any links or advice with regard to bitstreaming stereo then I am all ears. Thank you.