Poor sound quality (premium) on certain tracks

[westwoodsound]

I like the Spotify service, but a couple of tracks in my playlist sounded like bad MP3 rips.  I started a premium trial with the hope the tracks in question would sound a lot better.  They sound exactly the same... bad.  Here's the tracks of which I speak... they sound "warbly" like a 128 kbps mp3 rip:

https://play.spotify.com/track/45a1TG2FMnenctxaSs7nKU

https://play.spotify.com/track/7GptbanebPZYkLPvjNfd6m

This next one's not as bad, but the same as the free service.  Definitely not a 320 kbps mp3 rip... at least not with a decent encoder.

https://play.spotify.com/track/45a1TG2FMnenctxaSs7nKU

Thoughts anyone?  I'm using the the web version (play.spotify.com) on windows 7, Steinberg MR816x audio interface, Genelec 8020 monitors.  I know all my gear is working correctly.

[Adro]

Hey have you tried changing the music quality in either the settings (preferences on Mac) menu that should work. Also have you tried playing the songs that have a poor quality on another device i.e phone.

If you post the examples of songs that aren't working that could help create a solution.

Hope that helps 🙂

[westwoodsound]

At 0:42 in the song below is the perfect example:

https://play.spotify.com/track/45a1TG2FMnenctxaSs7nKU

On both my web player and on my Android App (set to "Extreme" quality both online and offline) the quality is bad and warbled.  My Windows settings are impeccable. My audio device uses ASIO drivers.  I know for certain there is no windows or sound card settings at fault.

The sound quality loss is especially noticable on stereo distorion guitars (and some cymbals, often hi-hats) the encoding has made the sound very warbled and underwater-like.  But it is not on all tracks on Spotify.  Most of them sound really good.  But this 10% I find really off-putting.

Who rips the media to MP3's (or whatever format you are using)?  Is it Spotify staff or end-users?  Either way, I think the ablums these tracks are from need to be redone.

[maitolaulu]

Code Red - Token is a song that is very poor quality.

It's unfortunate since the song is great. Youtube version is much clearer 😞