Analog invites you to turn up the volume

I detect much greater variability with recording quality vs my vinyl/streaming setups. Based on my own and other's experiences streaming sound quality has converged with vinyl, both should be entirely satisfying. My preferred volume levels stay very consistent, but then I consistently listen at night in a fairly quiet neighborhood, background or environmental noise levels can greatly affect preferred volume levels.

The AGD Audion Mk3 monoblocs fronted by the Holo Serene KTE preamp, Holo May KTE Dac, and Jay's Audio CDT 3 Mk3 cd transport have all finally broken in and have achieved a glorious smooth sound not lacking in any detail. At this level of refinement it was surprising to discover that the Jay;s Audio transport upsampling toggle switch (176.4 K) has now come into its own and is engaged most of the time. Sometimes the Primaluna EVO 400 tube pre is swapped in, but that is happening less and less as the system manages to play solid state only with beauty and PRAT. Part of this victory may also be due to the extraordinary Audio Magic M2 fuses installed in the monoblocs.

It has been a great relief to have finally "gotten somewhere" with a system, and that has been due in no small part to the advice and direction received from members of this forum.

@mickeyb

First off, are you listening to lossless files (Tidal/Qobuz) or compressed files (Pandora/Spotify). Digital compression can indeed cause music to sound harsh or dull. Some recordings or remasters can also have overly compressed dynamics leading to listening fatigue. Are you experiencing this across the board with all digital recordings or select few? 

As a general rule, music always sounds better at higher volume.  That's why level-matching is vital for audio comparisons.

We are also very sensitive to distortion.  If we don't have to consider others, we tend to turn up the volume to the point where distortion is no longer acceptable.

I suspect very few reach the volume of most live music!

@richardbrand 

Higher volume often reveals more detail and dynamic range, making music feel more engaging. Conversely, achieving a lower noise floor is far more critical in our environment. You can uncover a whole new layer of details just by lowering noise floor thus allowing us to play music at a sweet spot where clarity and enjoyment peak. 

Level-matching is indeed crucial for fair comparisons, as louder playback can skew perceptions of quality. Live music volumes, of course, are a whole other level, often exceeding what most home systems or listeners can comfortably achieve!