Yes. You are correct 256 AAC is pretty darn good.
Has anyone did a blind test on iTunes AAC vs CD/Lo
I cannot tell a difference on any system I listen to between an iTunes download (256 aac) vs a CD track or lossless 16/44. Now my living room system is low to mid fi (Pioneer Elite). My small studio has Yamaha HS series monitors which are pretty revealing IMHO. I've also listened thru my Grados (Pioneer Elite headphone jack). I can hear artifacts in the MP3's I've listened to (slight swishy XM radio sound). But the 256 AAC sounds just as good. 98% of my music purchases are CD's. I like physical media...but the iTunes downloads sound identical. Please chime in