Your finger hovers over the mouse. "It’s just audio," you tell yourself. "How bad can it be?"

When you download a low-quality rip (usually 64kbps or lower), that reverb turns into a hissing noise that sounds like frying bacon. The subtle footsteps on gravel sound like someone crumpling a chip packet next to your ear. You aren't immersed in the suspense; you are fighting the technology just to understand the dialogue.