Just how many people really need "high-def" music?

kw: opinion, music, digital music

In the recent CNET News.com article
Syncing high-def music with digital generation, Staff writer Greg Sandoval reports on efforts to distribute lossless music, challenging the "terrible sound" of mp3 files at 128 Kbps.

My experience with mp3 files isn't that clear. Yes, there's a lot of junk out there, whether purchased, ripped, or pirated. But I know few people who can hear the difference between an mp3 at 128K and the CD from which it came. I am a musician, and only in the most exacting situation, in a room with superior acoustics and using exceptional equipment, can I hear the "details" that certain audiophiles make so much of.

The difference in enjoyment is too small to warrant the trouble, for me. I suspect this is so for all but a few people that I consider overly picky.

I grew up with vinyl, and a CD track played on almost any player is superior to vinyl on equipment costing a BMW or two. An mp3 file played with my computer or an iPod is still better than the best vinyl.