General Audio Quality Help

Afraid you can't upsample. WAV = CD Quality, 44.1 Khz/16 Bit. MP3's, even at 320kbps MP3's have undergone some form of compression in comparison to a normal WAV file. Though it might not seem apparent, you lose a small form of dynamic, as well as definition in primarily the ends of the frequency spectrum, the lows/highs. People use MP3's because they are good enough while being 10 times smaller in size than a WAV file (especially online, cuts down download times). Nobody in the pro audio business uses MP3's, they are truly a consumer grade format. That being said, you can't go from a MP3 to a WAV. You can't undo MP3 compression. That's why I said it's a habit, like setting iTunes to rip CD's in WAV even though that requires more space, or only buying WAV's off Beatport. If you make an effort to only use WAV's it gives you the piece of mind that you are playing a song at the highest quality possible, eliminating that problem from the rest of your audio chain.

Less is more, a signal path is unlikely to increase in quality as you add stuff to it.

Pretty much what Brocklambert said. A good way to look at things is by going through your signal chain and making the best (quality/financial) upgrades. Regarding your setup I'd go down the list like this:

1. Songs. It all starts here. The most basic upgrade you can make is by playing WAV files. You can have an amazing sound system, but it will sound crappy if the song is crappy quality. Avoid MP3's if possible. This is honestly one of the easiest upgrades to fund, and is overlooked a lot.

2. Sound Card. In your case, the VMS 2. Trickier since it's built into the controller. In terms of the overall sound quality, the increase will be marginal compared to your amp and speakers. I would look into upgrading this when you feel like you need a new controller.

3. Amp. Doesn't look too shabby. Speakers make a bigger difference, but never skimp out on an amp. I would say, upgrade this when you are ready to move onto more powerful and better speakers and need a stronger amp. A good amp is clean and reliable, this is why people stick to certain names like Crown, 'cause they do just that. They may have a bigger price tag but are well worth the investment.

4. Speakers. You'll see a huge range of quality possible here. Sadly, this is also the most expensive area to invest in. Sort of the same story as amps, it's all about quality and reliability. Hard to go wrong with the big names as they've proved themselves up to the task, at sadly, a higher price point.

5. For the sake of it, audio transport. Stick to good balanced connections if possible, but it seems like you're already doing that.

In you case, I'd focus on trying to only play WAV's as an immediate improvement (and a good future habit). Aside from that, it seems you'd benefit the most from some better speakers. Though I realize that's the most expensive upgrade. If you need help understanding anymore of this stuff, don't be shy to ask, I'm a bit more versed on the techy sound engineering aspects.

Honestly, every component you have is low to mid quality... The system is only as strong as the weakest component. I would upgrade to better speakers for the most dramatic improvement. Sound card quality also makes a huge difference.

Afraid you can't upsample. WAV = CD Quality, 44.1 Khz/16 Bit. MP3's, even at 320kbps MP3's have undergone some form of compression in comparison to a normal WAV file. Though it might not seem apparent, you lose a small form of dynamic, as well as definition in primarily the ends of the frequency spectrum, the lows/highs. People use MP3's because they are good enough while being 10 times smaller in size than a WAV file (especially online, cuts down download times). Nobody in the pro audio business uses MP3's, they are truly a consumer grade format. That being said, you can't go from a MP3 to a WAV. You can't undo MP3 compression. That's why I said it's a habit, like setting iTunes to rip CD's in WAV even though that requires more space, or only buying WAV's off Beatport. If you make an effort to only use WAV's it gives you the piece of mind that you are playing a song at the highest quality possible, eliminating that problem from the rest of your audio chain.

Less is more, a signal path is unlikely to increase in quality as you add stuff to it.

Pretty much what Brocklambert said. A good way to look at things is by going through your signal chain and making the best (quality/financial) upgrades. Regarding your setup I'd go down the list like this:

1. Songs. It all starts here. The most basic upgrade you can make is by playing WAV files. You can have an amazing sound system, but it will sound crappy if the song is crappy quality. Avoid MP3's if possible. This is honestly one of the easiest upgrades to fund, and is overlooked a lot.

2. Sound Card. In your case, the VMS 2. Trickier since it's built into the controller. In terms of the overall sound quality, the increase will be marginal compared to your amp and speakers. I would look into upgrading this when you feel like you need a new controller.

3. Amp. Doesn't look too shabby. Speakers make a bigger difference, but never skimp out on an amp. I would say, upgrade this when you are ready to move onto more powerful and better speakers and need a stronger amp. A good amp is clean and reliable, this is why people stick to certain names like Crown, 'cause they do just that. They may have a bigger price tag but are well worth the investment.

4. Speakers. You'll see a huge range of quality possible here. Sadly, this is also the most expensive area to invest in. Sort of the same story as amps, it's all about quality and reliability. Hard to go wrong with the big names as they've proved themselves up to the task, at sadly, a higher price point.

5. For the sake of it, audio transport. Stick to good balanced connections if possible, but it seems like you're already doing that.

In you case, I'd focus on trying to only play WAV's as an immediate improvement (and a good future habit). Aside from that, it seems you'd benefit the most from some better speakers. Though I realize that's the most expensive upgrade. If you need help understanding anymore of this stuff, don't be shy to ask, I'm a bit more versed on the techy sound engineering aspects.

Honestly, every component you have is low to mid quality... The system is only as strong as the weakest component. I would upgrade to better speakers for the most dramatic improvement. Sound card quality also makes a huge difference.