I noticed an improvement, wonder what you guys think.

[Paul Mohr]

Indeed a good quality recording will shine thru on multiple types of media/bitrate. The provenance for a recording can be hard to ascertain too, so hard to know if you are indeed listening to the same mix/master.

So true. In many cases how good something sounds has far more to do with how it was mixed/engineered than the format you listen to it on. I have some CD's that sound like garbage and I have heard some MP3's that sound quite good. Heck I have heard some cassets that sound better than cd's. There are some artists that you just know it will sound good because of who they choose to work with in the studio.

 

[JCanada]

@lovinthehd
Amen. Good quality recordings shine through and make a difference. The difficulty with determining provenance is a real problem. For most of us making a purchase, its really tough to know exactly what you're getting until you can see the guts of it on a computer. By then, you're pregnant. You own it.

Nothing will save you with a poor quality recording and you don't even need salt and pepper for seasoning on a good one.

Good analogy. A good quality PRIME Steak needs little in terms of dressing. It's high quality shines through. Does not need salt and spices.
On the topic of knowing the quality of the recording beforehand, I have had bad experiences with "Best Of", "Compilation" type CD's. I find their sound is often muddy, unclear, and cloudy. I usually like the authentic original album releases from the artist. You usually get a superior sounding recording that way. Take for example a song released on a band's official album. That particular recording sounds good. The exact same song on a "best of", or "compilation" type cd, usually sounds terrible. That is my experience with those types of CD recordings.
Regarding vinyl, there are a lot of YouTube videos of critics analyzing and evaluating the quality of vinyl record pressings and such. I have not ventured into vinyl yet. So far in my brief audiophile journey, it has been CD and streaming.

 

[JCanada]

Ok, you have said you don't like the sound you are getting. My first question would be compared to what? And the second would be what exactly are you hearing that you don't like? You did mention your speakers were a bit harsh, but in what way? Too much treble, distortion in the highs, mids are breaking up?

Is this a sound you just inherently don't like, or is compared to other systems you have heard with similar products or equipment that is better. And was it with the same speakers? And what kind of room was it in when you were listening, what were you listening to and how was it being played back? As in what was the source and medium being used. Did you hear those speakers before you bought them and they were fine, and then you got them home and you didn't like them?

There are things that can effect the sound and things you can try to trouble shoot/solve it. If your source material concerns you then I would try listening to the same music with different sources. Like from a CD or or a quality file from a USB drive or something. This would help you know if it was an issue with the streaming service or device. Something a lot people over look is speaker placement and set up. You could play with that. I have made some systems that didn't sound that great sound fantastic simply by playing with speaker positions. I would also take a hard look at your room. Room acoustics can have a huge impact on what you hear.

If you want to get really anal about it you could get REW and a good mic that way you would have a visual reference for what you are hearing.

Maybe you just don't like the sound of those speakers, it happens. I have heard speakers I didn't care for, even expensive ones. They didn't sound "bad", I just didn't care for the sound. There are brands I don't care for. Or possibly you might be more be more happy with a tube system, or something that emulates that. It isn't something I like, but lots of people do. And maybe your problems could be solved with some sort of EQ or DSP. Although that is harder to do with some equipment. And for some people a truly "flat" sounding system or speakers isn't what sounds good at all. It might be accurate, but that doesn't mean you will like it. Some people hear and perceive sound differently. It isn't something I like to be honest. Systems that measure flat to me tend to lack bass and have too much midrange. I have spent a lot of time on multiple occasions level matching systems in homes and cars so all the speakers were the same and and all the frequencies were matched. Looked great on paper and on the meter. Only to find out I didn't like the sound lol.

I thank you for the in depth reply. Much appreciated.