Why Audio Matters: Choosing the Best Streaming Setup for Sound Quality

When you think about upgrading your streaming setup, your mind probably goes straight to sharper visuals or faster Internet speeds. But there’s another upgrade that can completely transform your viewing and listening experience: sound quality.

Crisp, balanced audio can take a movie night, curated playlist, or live concert stream from average to unforgettable. Unfortunately, many people overlook their speakers or soundbars when improving home entertainment, and instead focus only on screen resolution or WiFi performance.

This guide explores how to build a streaming setup that sounds as good as it looks, covering what makes for high-quality streaming audio, how to choose the right gear, and how SmartMove can help ensure your Internet connection delivers every sound effect and key change in perfect sync.

What Makes Great Streaming Audio?

More than 81 million Americans pay for ad-free access to music streaming services like Amazon Music Unlimited, Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz, YouTube Music, and Deezer. Even more people subscribe to video streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. And yet, if you ask which streaming service delivers the best sound, you’ll probably get five different answers, because it depends on a mix of technology, Internet connection, and equipment.

Ask five dedicated audiophiles, and the discussion gets even more technical. Terms like bitrate, latency, FLAC vs. AAC, Dolby Atmos Music, HiFi, and spatial audio all come up quickly. While we won’t dive deep into every audio file type or compression method, there are a few universal principles for achieving great streaming audio:

• Balanced acoustics: Delivers a clear blend of lows, mids, and highs so voices, instruments, and effects come through naturally.
• Audio/video sync (low latency): Lag between sound and picture ruins immersion. Optimize device settings to ensure sound plays in sync with the visuals.
• Internet speed and audio compression: Slower speeds force services to compress sound more heavily, reducing detail. A strong, stable Internet connection lets you stream higher-bitrate (and better) audio.

Choosing the Right Audio Gear

Yes, your ultra-HD video should look and sound amazing, but if your sound system can’t keep up, you’ll miss half the experience. Paying for a premium subscription that offers high-resolution audio, like Apple Music’s ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) or Sony’s 360 Reality Audio, doesn’t help if you’re still listening through your TV’s built-in speakers or first-generation Alexa. Luckily, there are a few ways to build a system that can handle the highest quality digital music and video available.

Soundbars vs. Speaker Systems

Whether you’re streaming through a smart TV, your computer, or a mobile device, the quality of the final delivery determines a lot of the listening experience. Soundbars are a popular way to improve sound compared to standard TV or computer speakers. They’re compact, affordable, and often deliver significantly better clarity.

However, if you’re really looking for the best sound, a high-quality speaker system is tough to beat. A high-quality multi-channel setup delivers richer lows, more separation between instruments or effects, and less compression, letting you hear the full frequency range of the music track or film score.

Surround Sound or Simpler Setups?

Traditional stereo setups send sound left and right. Surround sound systems (5.1, 7.1, or Dolby Atmos configurations) deliver sound to the left, right, front, back, and overhead, creating a fully immersive user experience.

That’s why directors design action scenes and sound mixes with surround sound in mind: it brings the on-screen world to life around you. If you’re a film enthusiast with the budget and room to accommodate it, surround sound can make movies truly cinematic.

That said, if you aren’t a cinephile or don’t have the space or money for a surround-sound speaker setup and installation, a 2.1 or 3.1 system can still deliver rich, detailed sound, and compact soundbars with virtual surround processing can simulate a multi-speaker experience remarkably well.

Audio Quality from Streaming Services Explained

Depending on which music app or streaming service you routinely use, getting the best audio quality is one part their job and one part yours. Most audio streaming services offer a free tier that includes ads and lower-quality audio (e.g., 96 kbps, a much lower bitrate than is offered on paid services). If that’s all you’re using, you won't even get vinyl or CD-quality sound.

Paid tiers deliver high-quality audio, often up to 320kbps MP3s on Spotify or lossless and high-resolution formats such as AAC, FLAC, or MQA on other platforms.

That said, most listeners won’t be able to hear the difference between that and higher-res audio tracks with lossless streaming. But if you’re a music streamer who paid for a nice speaker setup and want to make sure you’re hearing as much of what was recorded as is possible, aim for a hi-res streaming tier that’s at least 24-bit/48 - 192kHz.

Tips for an Ideal Streaming Experience

For audiobook, TV, podcast, and music fans who want the best listening experience, it helps to have a solid, reliable Internet connection. After all, it doesn’t really matter if you’re streaming a playlist from Tidal Connect if your Internet signal keeps dropping.

Here are some tips to try and achieve an ideal streaming experience:

• Use Ethernet when possible. WiFi is great except for its occasional fluctuations. For smoother playback, plug in the Ethernet.
• Set optimal bandwidth and device priority. Use your router’s settings to prioritize streaming devices, preventing background tasks from disrupting playback.
• Balance audio/video using smart device settings. For a better, more synced-up video streaming experience, use your device settings to balance any discrepancies or lag between the audio from your smart speakers and the video feed.
• Using earbuds or headphones? Get a digtal-to-analog converter (DAC). Whether you’re still wired or have graduated to Bluetooth, add a DAC to your AirPods or other headphones to improve sound quality. Just be sure to check device compatibility (i.e., does it work with iOS/iPhone or Android?).

How SmartMove Enhances Your Streaming Experience

To get the most out of your online music library and TV viewing, it takes more than just having a subscription to the best music and streaming services. You need reliable, high-speed Internet. That’s where SmartMove comes in.

We’ll help you:

• Find Internet plans that support HD, 4K, and high-resolution audio streaming, so your system performs at its best.
• Compare providers and packages based on bandwidth, reliability, and streaming compatibility.
• Bundle Internet with other services, like cable or mobile, so you can streamline your setup and potentially save on monthly costs.
• Transfer or set up service stress-free if you’re moving to a new home, so your system is up and running on day one.

Get started with SmartMove today and take your streaming sound from standard to spectacular!