downloading music worth listening to on a computer


It seems to me that every recording I've heard downloaded to a flashdrive or DVD on a computer sounds fairly hideous. The playback is harsh, brittle, compressed and caustic. To be sure, the standard computer recording processor in a conventional computer is designed for conversation and audio purity was never a design factor, but this is the direction that the industry seems to be traveling to. So my question is this...
How can I download quality music on my laptop computer?

Are there chips available that can be installed or outboard devices that can be utilized to accomplish this purpose, and what format (dics, flashdrive, etc.) is preferred?
Your input and suggestions are appreciated.
morbius2130aol
Same thing crossed my mind just reading the title "worth listening to". Same exact thing. However "worth listening to" it may have been going in, by the time it comes out there's just no way. Really good Muzak is about the best you can do. Better than being in an elevator. Or supermarket, even. But "worth listening to"? If that's your goal save your money. But if you can be satisfied with "not nearly so crappy" then you are on the right track.
Hard to tell what it is that you want to download.  But in any event, downloading is one step.  Playback is another.  About the easiest and cheapest way to play back from a computer is with an Audioquest Dragonfly.connected to earphones or any player of your choice.
“How can I download quality music on my laptop computer?”

You can certainly do that from sites like HDTracks.com or acousticssounds.com but it won’t matter as long as you’re listening through the laptop computer. The laptop computers are not designed to output high quality and more importantly noise free audio.  
Look into a dedicated streamer like Bluesound Node 2i as a starting point. This device comes with a decent built-in DAC and supports high quality streaming from Tidal and Qobuz.  If downloading music is a priority then consider a Bluesound Vault 2 which allows downloads straight from HDTracks.