[Sniping]

I'm super bad with everything audio. Right now I download 320kbps MP3 files, but when I look at the file formats, I see more than one. I know that there's a better quality format than that, so what's the best format that I can download in? Also, it's my understanding that I need an decompresser (Or is it the other way around?), so how would I get it? I would like the solution to give me better quality, not the best, because I also want it to be quick and easy. If there's something that fits my needs, please help me out here, I would appreciate it a lot!

 

[bixby]

When you say download, where are you downloading from?  If it is itunes then you are stuck with the rate and format that they use.  If you really mean ripping form a CD then you can set the rate and format.  If ripping and you just want the best sound quality, then use WAV or AIFF depending on which music library program and O/S you use.
 
not sure what you mean about decompressor.  And if you use any lossy format you cannot make it sound better by transcoding to another codec or format, FYI.

 

[Sniping]

Sorry for the late response, I've been meaning to reply to this for a few days now...
I'm downloading from Bandcamp, and the choices they give me are MP3 320, FLAC, MP3 VBR (V0), AAC, Ogg Vorbis and ALAC.

 

[skamp]

FLAC and ALAC are lossless. They're equivalent to each other, and better than the rest, which are lossy. That's not to say that they're audibly better though, but they give you the ability to transcode them to whatever format you want, should you choose to do so.

Your 320 kbps MP3s should be transparent in most cases, i.e. you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between those and their lossless counterparts (again, in most cases).

 

[Sniping]

Thanks for the post. I understand now. I have Sennheiser HD 280 Pro's. Would you give me input on any upgrades I can make to my listening experience? Budget is pretty small....

 

[andrewberge]

If you're looking for a new pair of headphones, i suggest you make a post in this thread. Lots of helpful people there.
 
You should tell them what your source is: computer, laptop, mp3 player (give the specific model).
You should also say what type of music you listen to, what kind of sound you want (neutral, bassy, etc), and how much outside noise you want to block out.
And most importantly, your budget.