Is sound quality a major concern for most music fans?  Actually, not really - most are unaware of differing bitrates, high-end options like FLAC, and the finer points of fidelity.  Instead, most are happy with white earbuds instead of premium headphones, and startups geared towards super-fidelity experiences have suffered (for example, MusicGiants). 

Indeed, most of the files purchased on the iTunes Store are considered sub-par by audiophiles, even at 256kbps (double the previous fidelity).  Still, inside the industry, producers, artists, and executives are often pushing for a more premium experiences, based on their own connoisseurship.  "Our position is to go to all the sources and try to improve sound and educate people," Interscope chief Jimmy Iovine recently told C|Net. 

On that thought, Iovine is now threading a deal between Hewlett-Packard and Dr. Dre, also according to C|Net.  The initiative is expected to include premium laptops bundled with 'Beats by Dr. Dre' software and headphones, part of a heady charter to improve the "digital music ecosystem". 

Perhaps the more immediate aim is simply to boost sales of Beats - the headphones are already featured in a long list of Interscope artist videos, the result of a top-down mandate according to sources to Digital Music News.