No, 320 kbps is not CD quality. CD quality audio is 16-bit/44.1kHz, while 320 kbps MP3 is lossy audio that has been compressed to reduce its file size. This compression results in a loss of audio quality, but it is not always noticeable to the human ear.
The higher the bitrate, the less compression is used and the better the sound quality. 320 kbps MP3 is one of the highest bitrates available for streaming audio, but it is still lossy and does not match the sound quality of CD quality audio.
If you are looking for the best possible sound quality, you should choose a streaming service that offers lossless audio streaming. Lossless audio streaming preserves all of the original audio information in the music recording, resulting in sound quality that is indistinguishable from CD quality.
Some streaming services that offer lossless audio streaming include:
- Tidal
- Qobuz
- Amazon Music HD
- Apple Music (lossless tier)
If you are not sure whether you can hear the difference between CD quality audio and 320 kbps MP3, you can try a blind listening test. This involves listening to two different versions of the same song, one in CD quality and one in 320 kbps MP3, without knowing which one is which. If you can consistently identify the CD quality version, then you have good hearing and may be able to appreciate the difference in sound quality.
However, if you are unable to consistently identify the CD quality version, then your hearing may not be as good or you may not be able to hear the difference in sound quality. In this case, there is no need to pay for a streaming service that offers lossless audio streaming.
