Argh. Lossy-lossy transcoding?
What Apple should have done is mirror what they did with HD video: since HD won't run on iPods, they include the SD version with the HD purchase. When you purchase a song on iTunes, if you have the option enabled, it should automatically download a 128kbps DRM-free file for use on iPhones and iPods, which would be converted from the lossless original, not from an already-lossy file.
Heck, for already-purchased music, they could give you a one-time "$4.99 to double your iPhone's capacity!" option which would give you non-transcoded 128kbps files of all your iTunes Plus songs.
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