As we've been discussing, watching a cursor travel through a bowel-movement-shaped wave file is a fairly terrible way to experience music -- yet so popular!
So, what's an alternative?
Even watching a record spin on a turntable beats Soundcloud.
See, e.g.,
Wavemaker, "Lodestar" [YouTube]
The audio appears to be coming through a webcam mic, but it sounds damned good. Missed this British synth duo back in the day and was so intrigued by this YouTube I tracked down a vinyl copy on Discogs. The whole LP sizzles.