Thaiman:fr0g:Thaiman:
Too many formats!
I think 320 kps MP3 sound pretty good although you know it's been compressed, a bit like Jpeg and RAW on Camera file.
MP3 can be hifi. My own MP3s sound far better through my squeezebox and Harmony DAC, than my old Arcam CD 7SE player playing CDs...
Are you Ashley James in disguised?
I admit that MP3 is not as bad as I first thought but using Yamaha Musicast playing both formats, I can hear the different. The different then become massive when Sugden Masterclass cdp is playing tunes...un-comparable really.
...Uncomparable literally.
You can't compare 2 different formats for quality comparison through different DACs
A bit perfect WAV or lossless file through a no cost compromise, high end DAC is as good as any CD player.
An MP3 (high quality) through the same will be close, and certainly as good as any sub £1K CD player.
The DAC is the more important thing.
With a highly revealing system (especially speakers IMO), you can hear the difference (between MP3 and WAV)...BUT play a good quality MP3 through your old Stello, and play the CD through (for example, a Naim CD5i, or a Rega Apollo, or an Arcam CD192, or a Creek Evo etc etc, and I can bet you the MP3 will be better. )