128 or 256 bit for MP3s?

[ILikeSprite]

6"

 

[Ultima]

I can easily hear the difference between 128 and 192 on my headphones.. go with 160 or higher

 

[ProviaFan]

I like 192, it's not too large and not too small, and the quality is excellent. As for songs to test with, I use whatever I happen to have available, which is usually something I like (my preference is for older stuff by Chicago, Boston, Styx, ...)

 

[S0me1X]

I used to use 256bit LAME. Recently, I switched to MP-Pro. At around 165kbit VBR, MP-Pro very nice. LAME VBR is also quite good. I listen to mostly Romantic music.

One easy giveaway of a low quality mp3 is the way the string sections sound. When I listen to the original CD, the violin section sounds like there are actually many violins playing together. On a poor quality MP3, the violins can sound like one muddy instrument.