Why Do Some Recordings Sound Great and Others Dead?

I listen to Radio Paradise all the time… through Qobuz for a couple hours a day. My streamer / digital system sound the same as my really great analog end (you can see my system under mt UserID). No, I do not experience any significant difference in sound quality among their play list. All sound quite spectacular. 

Recordings vary widely in SQ, as I'm sure you know.  Some seem to agree with your system and room while others don't, and some will never sound good.  They're just bad recordings.

You say the acoustics in your room are poor.  Can you do anything to improve the room?  That's probably what you're going to have to do.

I listen to RP a lot and the quality is pretty consistent, especially on the Mellow Mix station. Question, how are you controlling volume in your chain? Node, SMSL, Beolabs?

I believe the only way I can control the volume is through the SMSL DAC.  I use the SMSL remote.  I bypass the NODE DAC and use a USB cable to send the signal to the SMSL.  Under ‘Audio Settings’ and ‘Select Output’, once I have connected the NODE to the SMSL it reads ‘Default’ ‘SMSL USB AUDIO.’  The Beolabs have no volume control.  For my subs, they have their own volume settings for their volume in the system.