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CD/lossless versus iTunes & Amazon downloads

I've been trying to search Audiogon for information on this, but seems like next to no one downloads songs from iTunes or Amazon.
For the past 5 years, almost all of my music listening has been done in front of the computer while working on other stuff. I've bought a mix or CDs and downloaded albums from iTunes and Amazon. There's tons of albums you can get on Amazon for $5 at an approx 256 VBR bit rate. (I'm just using an iMac with powered M-Audio monitors).

I'm about to upgrade to add a little DAC (HRT audiostreamer), an amp (NAD or MF A5), and running this through my Magnepan MMGs. Will this cause a big difference in sound between the compressed downloads and CDs? Any chance the mp3s will sound worse than they do on my current setup?
adnan

Showing 1 response by meiwan

meiwan
399 posts
 
CD/lossless sounds very good. MP3 downloads from I tunes and other sources are compressed and don't sound nearly as good. Although, like cds, the sound quality varies. With a better system, I've tended to avoid downloading, unless you find something you like on HD Tracks. I just buy the CD and burn it to my iMac. To me, itunes is for picking up a song or two here and there when the quality doesn't matter so much.

However, I regularly listen to internet radio on i-tunes, and depending on the station it can sound from pretty bad to quite impressive.
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