Quobuz subscription

Are you streaming from phone?  Or just using phone as controller?  

@12many,

I’m streaming via Lenovo IdeaCentre mini desk-top with W10 and SSD fed to MyTek 192 via USB 2.0

The rest of signal path can go to headphones or speakers, but that department is very sound

Seychelles does sound muffled. I tried volume up-down, but try to listen to same from YouTube Terminal Passage who ripped it from Japanese vinyl and then A/B

Try many other non-pop albums simply taken from an entire era of Japanese City-Funk stuff, German kroutrock such as Guru-Guru, Misus Beastly etc

@czarivey -- I've had a Qobuz subscription for several years now and have been very pleased with it. So, I tried out some of the albums you mentioned above by Masayoshi Takanaka and Eloy and can't say I was impressed by the recording quality. My DAC also showed CD quality (44.1K).

However, I don't think any of the streaming services do anything other than stream the files that are provided by the music companies. Qobuz has 80 million files available so I don't think they really have an interest in reprocessing any of them.  And, I certainly have bought a lot of CDs over the years (and LPs prior to that) -- some had excellent sound quality, many were mediocre, and a few downright poor recordings.

I've heard a lot of music on Qobuz with excellent sound quality. I listen to a lot of classical, folk/americana, some jazz, and a lesser amount of pop and rock.  I don't think Qobuz is doing anything one way or the other to change the quality of material provided to them.

Here's an excellent jazz recording a friend referred to me the other day: Till Brönner - Nightfall. Currently streaming at 24/96K to my Sundara headphones. 

Your DAC is probably a-bit more advanced than mine to show actual processing, but in my case, on these non-pop albums the sound is muffled as if I would be listening to MP96 or lower format while the material on re-issued CDs or ripped from vinyl sound a LOT more superior. Try YouTube vs. Quobuz on those and free YouTube tracks will simply humiliate Quobuz. 

Long story short, I've stopped the service and trying to enjoy the rest of free month to see if I find anything good there to listen to.

I'm happy with Qobuz and have experienced different quality from tracks but put it off to the actual recording process when it was made.