One of the (many) reasons I consider The Lord of the Rings films superior to the adaptation of The Hobbit is they used a lot more practical effects. "Bigatures", latex, proper orc make-up, masks, etc. None of that looked as good in CGI. I can't say I've noticed any sound issues either. This sounded bloody amazing in THX during the cinema screenings (especially the Ringwraith shrieks).

Both novels are masterpieces in their own right, of course. Perhaps you simply prefer The Hobbit as a story, which is fair enough.