[tals]

Hey guys.
 
Currently, I've got FLAC files that I've directly ripped from CDs, running through an HRT Music Streamer II, into a Burson Soloist SL, to a HifiMan HE-500.
 
I've listened to a friend's Shure SE535, driven by a Nexus 5. The sound was as good as my home setup, listed above. It got me worried that a seemingly better setup sounds about the same (the Shure had worse treble, but slightly better bass and mids) as a portable, lower quality setup.
 
On my setup, music doesnt sound clean. It sounds overwhelming, it sounds not accurate, like it's very busy.
Is there anything that I can do to improve the sound quality of my music? Am I doing something wrong, is there any way to achieve better sound quality from a PC?
 
Thank you.

 

[cel4145]

It got me worried that a seemingly better setup sounds about the same (the Shure had worse treble, but slightly better bass and mids) as a portable, lower quality setup.

Well, you might want to explore audio science and why more expensive amps/dacs may be no better than moderately priced ones. The particular speakers/headphones are what matter the most.

And you might be interested in this: http://lifehacker.com/5903625/mp3-or-lossless-see-if-you-can-hear-the-difference-with-this-test

 

[Music Alchemist]

First, try equalizing your headphones.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/413900/how-to-equalize-your-headphones-a-tutorial
http://www.head-fi.org/t/587703/how-to-equalize-your-headphones-a-tutorial-part-2
http://www.head-fi.org/t/615417/how-to-equalize-your-headphones-advanced-tutorial-in-progress
 
If that does not get you the sound you want, you may need to consider other headphones.
 
(All the other factors are probably not contributing to the sound anywhere near as much as your headphones are.)