Do I have to buy all new CDs?

I have a different opinion about this. I beleive that if your system is well balanced, with matched components that are not in and of themselves harsh, bright or aggressive, most cds will sound good to very good. I am not speaking of only very expensive systems either. Also, a better system does not make poor cds sound worse. It will reveal whats there, but can still be very enjoyable. I can't comment on your components, but I suspect your system is not well matched, and also has other setup problems that are affecting the sound. I cannot emphasize how important system matching is, and I don't think many dealers, in their haste to make a sale, care or even KNOW what works and what doesn't. Unfortunately, no one tells this to uninformed buyers until it is too late. I am speaking here from my own experience and frustration. I have spent a great deal of time and energy putting together my system, trying to get it right, while friends and family shook their heads and said "there he goes again". I think this is why many audiophyles become obsessed, while others think their systems sound great. You can put on reference cds to impress, but when you are there, by yourself, going through your collection, you know the truth. I have demoed high end components in my home that were just terrible together. I did this based on reviews and others advice. I don't doubt that many were good pieces. They just did not work together, in my room. I have heard so may people rip the Krell sound, and I am convinced it is because they have not heard it set up right. In the wrong system, it can chase you from the room. I am not speaking here about taste. Of course it is not for everyone. It is not even my preference. So anyway don't give up. And don't buy anything else unless you can hear it in your system, and spend time listening to those poorly recorded cds.

I just wanted to add that it is a complete waste to buy cds based solely on the label. That will not give you long term enjoyment. Buy the music that you like.

Bravo Blbloom!

I have found that some classical CD's that were sounding below average, were far more enjoyable when I improved my system (the good ones sound way better off course) by improving I mean setup and tweaks. I haven't changed any electronics and still the sound I'm getting keeps improving. The latest addition was a Camelot Sir Bors PC to the amp excellent results

Buy a Basis turntable / Graham tonearm / Benz Micro cartidge / Coda phono preamplifier analog system, and start collecting records. Problem solved. The best way to reproduce analog sound is to use an analog source. You could spend $30,000 on a top-notch digital front end, and my $7,500 turntable would exceed in every facet of the game.