I have a related question:

I usually listen to my music via googleplay by plugging my laptop/mobile into my amp using a 3.5mm to phono cable.

Is there a method that would produce a better sound quality?

`Think i have found the solution....http://www.hi-fiworld.co.uk/index.ph...io-player.html

an amazing review..says you can hear in the music things you never realised were there.
`Thats what my hitachi seperates system sounded like i bought 1980...was top of the range at the time.

Sometimes these things can be down to preference too, since not everybody's hearing is the same, and can change over time. Rose tinted specs can also play a part.

I remember that many of the hi-fi stores used to use Bowie's The Man Who Sold The World to test the capability of different systems. If it can handle that at a decent volume it can probably handle anything, although classical music is far more likely to expose any real shortcomings regarding clarity and transparency across the entire frequency range.

If you play MP3s through it will still be limited to the sound encoded in them, it can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear.

You are looking at the wrong things for what you want to hear. You won't get a fuller sound and better bass.

Though if you buy one it may seem to sound better initially even if it doesn't in reality. Confirmation bias will kick in for a while. As was mentioned earlier "Rose tinted specs can also play a part"

Love the old subjective hi-fi speak from that review ? ...

"The Eagles ‘Somebody’ (16/44.1) roared along, Glen Frey sounding full bodied, the Hammond organ swirling fruitily in the background. The bass line on ‘Busy Being Fabulous’ was solid and kick drum had punch: this track rocked. Again the X3 wasn’t as tidy or couth as the AK120"

"it obviously lacked the tidiness and orderliness, and the bass line behind Diana Krall singing Narrow Daylight (24/96) was softer and warmer, less defined in the time domain"

Not sure what to make of "less defined in the time domain"

I may be interested in the Filo or similar but I mainly use my player with headphones while running or via the van radio at work where ultimate fidelity is not limited by the player. What is important to me is to have a player that runs the excellent user-written and supported Rockbox firmware which blows the manufacturer's efforts into the weeds in functionality and usability.

Probably "rhythmic timing" the grandchild of "musicality". I think some of these people are wine reviewers in their spare time.

This is what hi-fi reviews used to be like. It's actually from 1993, but it's a Seventies-style review of some equipment from that period.
http://www.hi-fiworld.co.uk/olde-wor...turntable.html