Digital Emperor has no clothes

Oh yes we are! Remember, bits are bits and nothing else matters. 8^)

Of course 16/44.1 sounds better than 24/192. And Mp3 sounds better than 16/44.1. Everyone knows that.

I have a VERY modest system. My sources consist of a Sonos and a Squeezebox Touch, both of which pull files off of an NAS. My Preamp is a NAD C162, Dac is an XDA-1, Amp is an Aragon 2004, Speakers are System Audio SA505 bookshelves and my sub is a REL T3. Interconnects and digital cables are from Blue Jeans Cables and speaker cables are Canare 4S11. Not department store, but definitely not high end.

I can definitely tell the difference between hi rez and none hi rez files without much difficulty, most of the time. As mentioned, it depends on the quality of the recording.

I've downloaded some files from HDTracks that left me feeling like I wasted my money and I've downloaded others that made my system sound better than it should.

Tonyangel...your system IS high end, I bet it sounds great, and you clearly dig it...I have the same sort of stuff and have had a similar reaction to HDTracks...hit or miss just like everything else in art and music.

I checked out some Magico Q7s (!) today and clearly they're meant for people with crazy disposable income who live in acoustically treated airplane hangers and leave copies of Cigar Aficionado out for the maid to dust. Assembling a system from well designed less expensive often "pre-owned" gear is a lot more interesting than an overfunded "high end" tail chase, although I respect Magico's amazing stuff (somebody tell 'em I approve...they must have a design/build OCD inferiority complex going on there and need a hug or two).

Wolf_garcia... Besides being "a lot more interesting", it's also a lot more fun.