Resolved Question: How do I get my cd songs onto my ipod without it sounding like an old cassette tape?!?

I'm trying to import some songs from my cd's onto my ipod. I can either rip them from Windows Media Player, or Itunes. If I import them from Itunes, it sounds awful.. If I import them from Windows Media Player, it imports them and makes them into a .wma format. I then have to import the files to my itunes player so that I can sync it to my ipod.. itunes has to convert them from wma to mp3, and they still sound like crap.. what can i do?