Question for the audiophiles re: audio source quality

I upgraded my system in the last couple of weeks, and it is incredible. I will never own a vehicle with a factory system again. I can't believe I've been settling for Bose for the last 20 years. The only downside, if you can call it that, is that I'm now painfully aware of compression, audio file quality, etc.

With the myriad of services today (XM, MP3, Streaming, CDs, XM, HD Radio, CDs etc.) what do you listen to? I'm particularly interested in streaming/ downloading services and how they stack up from a sound quality perspective. I currently have the paid Pandora service. Sound quality is good, but the Amazon Prime Music Player set on high is much much better. HD Radio sounds much better than XM (sadly).

What do you listen to?

 

CD only. I listen to terrestrial radio only if I'm in the truck and it's a baseball or football game.

 

Spotify is pretty great

 

I was looking at that one. Do you pay for premium? Is it worth it strictly from a sound quality perspective?

 

I've tried spotify and tidal, then settled on apple music. The quality isn't the greatest, but the size of the library is worth it in my opinion. I still buy CDs of my favorite artists and then rip them wav to my ipod classic (which is permanently attached to my 80PRS).

 

Mostly rip CDs to lossless WAV files on a collection of thumb drives. There are a few 320 mbps MP3s in the mix, but almost always play off the USB drives.

 

Get a pioneer prs 80 it has dac's

 

They all have DACs

 

Burr-brown dacs

This was my last aftermarket cd

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Car/CD-Receivers/DEH-P880PRS

 

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IMHO all the streaming services suck. I live with my factory stereo (run through a DSP and amps), but at home it's FLAC only.

 

I cannot stand the way XM or any satalitte radio sounds. MP3 are an assault to the ears. I use to have most everything in my iTunes but have gone to Windows Media Player as I can rip and play FLAC. I prefer FLAC or WAV. I prefer analog but vinyl is not very good in the car.

For a streaming service I've been very happy with Pandora. I have not got Amazon music sorted out yet. Ive been on Pandora One for years so my stations are rather dialed in.

 

Spotify Premium is up to 320 kbps. I don't think most others are that high.

 

Foobar2000 is the best audio player I've found. I'm running a DSP equalizer module that I tuned to my listening room- the response is perfectly flat and does not sound modulated at all. I can't tell the difference between vinyl and a 24-bit FLAC rip of that same album. That's for home though- I haven't found a good way to play FLACs in the Taco.

 

Bah, drop it in the bed and reach out the slider to change the vinyl or do some scratching

 

Don't forget to build a roll cage around it for wheeling.

 

My 2 wheel drive doesn't go offroad

 

320kbps files on thumbsticks or CD's......until Toyota makes a deck that plays FLAC