Hello, my 320bit mp3's have more bass than the original so is 256 the next best thing?

Uhoh, someone hasn't been doing his homework!

(hint: read the FAQ, and welcome to HA

Rule #8!

Yes, before you go any further, please read Rule #8 of the Hydrogenaudio Terms of Service. The link to the TOS is at the top of every page. If you follow Rule #8, you will likely find that your MP3's don't really have more bass. If, after performing the test according to Rule #8, you still find your MP3's have too much bass, then feel free to continue this discussion.

The TOS isn't there to harass you, it's there to keep the discussions at Hydrogenaudio productive and on-topic. Following the TOS requires more work on everyone's part, but the benefit can be seen every day, in the high quality of the discusisons at HA.

Welcome to the forum!

Yes!!

[haha]I prefer 64kbps MP3s - I feel they are "bright" and have a clear sound that brings out details not found in the original recordings. 192kbps is the best mix between deep bass and crisp highs in my opinion. [/haha]

On a serious note, if you are using winamp, be aware that it uses a different equalizer for cd's (wav's) and mp3's. This could be causing your "too much bass" problem.

Decode your 320kbit/s mp3 to wav and compare the result with the original wav using winabx.
You open the two files as "A" and "B" and must decide, which one is X. This makes sure that the heard 'difference' isn't imagination.
In this case, I'm sure you won't here any difference (320kbit/s is far too much).