Ipod touch, ITunes Match question

About 6 months ago, I learned of ITunes Match. Sounded great, so I made the purchase and bought an Ipod Touch since my Ipod classic was not compatible with the service.

I am not sophisticated in my technological prowess, and I am still experiencing minor problems.

I am a play count freak, and when I first synced the Ipod Touch with ITunes Match, the play counts would not update. Why? I could not figure it out despite phone calls and reading many responses online.

As a result, I turned the ITunes IMatch off on my device thusly downloading the songs on the device; the play counts updated.

Now that the songs are actually downloaded on my device, but the Match is off, does that mean I am getting the poor quality sound of my original downloads and not reaping the benefits of the IMatch service????

So frustrating! I miss the simplicity of my Ipod classic. All I use the Touch for is the music. Was there a better option for me?