Short answer: sometimes. It depends on the bitrate of the MP3, the music itself, your playback gear, your hearing, and how you listen. Here is the clear picture.

What each format does

• WAV stores uncompressed PCM audio. What is in the file is exactly what came out of the converter in the studio.
• MP3 is a lossy codec. It throws away parts of the signal that psychoacoustic models predict you will not notice, then rebuilds an approximation during playback.

When differences are easiest to hear

• Low bitrates (128 kbps and below): cymbals can sound like a swish, complex mixes feel smeared, bass loses definition, stereo width can wobble, and very bright content may have a watery or metallic edge.
• Transient-rich material: sharp hits, rimshots, hand percussion, plucked strings, and consonants in vocals reveal pre-echo or softened attacks.
• Dense, high-energy mixes: modern pop, metal, and EDM can expose pumping or warbling during loud sections.
• Repeated encoding: exporting an MP3, then re-encoding it again, compounds artifacts.

When differences are hard to hear

• High bitrates (256 to 320 kbps CBR, or high-quality VBR): for most listeners on normal gear, MP3 becomes perceptually transparent. In blind tests, many people cannot tell these MP3s from the original WAV.
• Simple or sparse recordings: solo voice, solo guitar, or piano at moderate levels can encode very cleanly.
• Everyday listening conditions: car noise, small speakers, or background listening mask subtle artifacts.

Typical artifacts to listen for

• High-frequency roll-off: a slight dulling of very top-end air.
• Pre-echo: a faint smear before a sharp hit.
• Chorus-like shimmer on cymbals and hats.
• Stereo image changes: joint stereo can narrow width at low bitrates.
• Low-level ambience loss: room reverb tails can sound grainy or truncated.

The gear and the room matter

Better headphones or speakers in a quiet room make differences more audible. Room acoustics can hide or exaggerate artifacts. A well-set headphone rig makes it easier to hear pre-echo and cymbal smear than a pair of laptop speakers.

How to test yourself the right way

1. Level-match within 0.1 dB. Louder usually sounds better, which can fool you.
2. Use ABX testing: software randomly switches between A (WAV), B (MP3), and X (unknown). If you can identify X correctly many times in a row, you are truly hearing a difference.
3. Pick revealing tracks: bright cymbals, fast percussion, wide stereo synths, or dense mixes at high volumes.
4. Avoid sighted tests: knowing which is which biases the result.

WAV vs FLAC vs MP3 in practice

• WAV vs FLAC: identical audio once decoded. FLAC is lossless and smaller, with tags and metadata.
• MP3: far smaller files, wide compatibility, and quick uploads. Use high-quality settings for transparency.
• Studios and archiving: keep a lossless master (WAV or FLAC). Generate MP3s only for distribution or streaming.

Recommendations

• For professional work, mixing, or archiving: use WAV or FLAC.
• For everyday listening and sharing: use MP3 at 256 to 320 kbps, or a high-quality VBR setting.
• If storage and bandwidth are easy: prefer lossless. If portability matters most: high-bitrate MP3 is usually transparent.

Bottom line

You can often hear the difference between a WAV and a low-bitrate MP3. With a well-encoded high-bitrate MP3, many listeners cannot. If you want certainty, run a level-matched ABX test with revealing material. If you want maximum quality with no questions asked, keep a lossless master and create MP3s as needed.