Hello everyone,

I currently listen to my mp3 songs by connecting my hi-fi amp to the headphone socket/audio out socket on my motherboard. The question I would like to ask is that if I improve my soundcard and buy an expensive one, will the quality of my mp3s sound better from my hi-fi? If so, which cards would people RECOMMEND for good mp3 quality playback

CheersI haven't really investigated different cards, but if you uprgrade, your hi-fi will upgrade too. Research different TYPES of sound cards through google, you may just find a match. Also, make sure you know what kind of sound card you have to make sure it is a worthy upgrade.The quality of the audio output signal is decided by your soundcard, and the quality of the output sound is decided by your amplifier and speaker.

Sound Card Amp/Speaker Result
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Good Good Good The most important factor for the quality of .mp3 is the bit rate at which it was recorded. 128 bit rate is considered to be CD quality, but it is not exactly. Higher bit rates CREATE larger files but produce better sound. Variable bit rates also produce very good sound. Any reasonably good sound card and speakers should give excellent reproduction.