Newby question about online music

[greg788]

I'm considering buying a computer system or an Ipod Classic with a Wadia 170i or HRT I-streamer. My plan is to "cherry pick" music from online rather than rip my cd collection. HOWEVER, all mainstream downloadable music is at 256kbps maximum (e.g., Itunes+, Amazon).

 

Question: is 256kbps acceptable versus lossless in a good system or can you recommend better websites (I haven't found any that support mainstream music yet).

 

[blueixus]

In a word no. If you want decent sound you need the full file, not compressed.Over time I have bought some 256kbps files and they are nearly all horrid to listen to, even in the modest system we have in the car.

 

The fact is once you have ripped you CDs it is done, (should be backed up though).

 

Also I generally find it is cheaper to buy music via CD and rip rather buying downloads....

 

Regarding sites offering downloadable CD quality mainstream music does not really exist as far as I am aware.

 

[mstieb]

The more resolution your system has, the worse lossy formats like MP3 (even at 256kbps) will sound. The online sources for lossless music might be highly taste-dependent.

 

If you like live music from bands that allow their performances to be recorded, you can check out The Live Music Archive.

http://www.archive.org/browse.php?collection=etree&field=%2Fmetadata%2Fcreator

 

It varies by uploader, but many who contribute recordings will post them in FLAC format. You can narrow your search to show items that have SBD (soundboard) in the recording lineage. Many recordings are posted with an embedded media player, allowing you to hear a streamed version (usually VBR MP3) before downloading the lossless files.