My Squeezebox original hooked up to my amp, maybe yes, but depends on the comparable MP3 bitrate quality and what the music content is. I do find I’m able to hear “watery” artefacts in some MP3s. Though more so with a decent system plus headphones.

Streaming to a phone or kitchen radio, then yeah quality isn’t a priority. Though FLAC is more about archiving the original CD perfectly. MP3 isn’t exactly what I bought, it’s lost information. Convert it and a bit more is lost, etc. If my CD is damaged or rots away (is possible) then I have a perfect copy of it.

If my CD is damaged or rots away (is possible) then I have a perfect copy of it.

Fair enough – although I’ve lost more than I’ve had damaged or rot 😉

I understand your problem as I have similar.
I store my music on a computer and run a upnp/dlna server so I can access this collection, but that eats through my data plan plus I send it reduced so it sounds a bit rubbish. So I copy the files I want to my phone, which is as easy as plugging the phone to the computer and transferring the files. I don’t know why you are bothering with the older phone.

I can then play those files via bluetooth audio in the car, but that sounds horrible, so I end up copying the files to a sd card for use in car. Mp3 is probably good enough in the car as the system sounds rubbish anyway, but I can never be bothered to convert them as that’s too much hassle so the car storage fills up quickly.

But basically when I get a new cd and want it in other places, I put the cars sd card in the computer and plug the phone in the usb and copy the files to both at the same time and then it’s done.

I use a 500GB iPod in the car. Can’t beat it 🙂

I’d rip to FLAC to store on a NAS. Exact copy of the CD then, best quality. They’ll stream as-is on a Sonos/Squeezebox/etc type of device, and over wifi to your phone with the right apps.

Then I have what I’m likely to want on the phone or other portable device converted to MP3.
It’s a good point, and I do think I should rerip to something lossless for streaming/ backup, and MP3 for versatility. I’m now about 4/5 of the way through reripping my library to better quality MP3, so I’m not sure I can face going back and doing it all again though… 😉