Hi-Res Audio explained
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Hi-Res Audio explained. High-Res audio is supposed to be the be all and end all in digital music.
But what does the little gold and black ‘Hi-Res Audio’ logo mean. Is Hi-Res Audio really such a big deal? Should you pay attention to it? How is it different to other digital music files? And what do you need to listen to it?
In actual fact, Hi-Res is about audio codecs (coding or decoding of digital data stream of audio).
We are basically talking about the algorithms used to turn a recording into the files we actually play on our phones and digital media players. They’re generally much smaller than the stereo master files that would be produced at the music studio end. Otherwise each of our albums would take up a couple of gigabytes, rather than a few hundred megabytes.
Probably the most famous of these algorithms are MP3 and AAC (iTunes).
These low data cost codecs such as AAC (iTunes) and Ogg Vorbis (Spotify) are great for streaming music while you sit on the bus listening to your iPod or Smartphone, but anybody slightly serious about music wouldn’t be satisfied with the quality and the fact that these files are compressed with a lot of data getting lost during the encoding process.
Music lovers believe that more information boast greater detail and texture, bringing listeners closer to the original performance. This can only be a good thing, especially now that more and more companies like FiiO, Topping, Aune, Chord and others offering portable High-Res playing devices; some of them surprisingly affordable.
But what does Hi-Res mean? In 2014 an agreement on what defines ‘hi-res audio’ was made.
They came up with this definition: “Lossless audio that is capable of reproducing the full range of sound from recordings that have been mastered from better-than-CD-quality music sources.”
It’s important to point out that unlike high-definition video, which has to meet certain criteria to earn the name, there’s no universal standard for hi-res audio. It basically is a catch-all term for any audio format that exceeds CD quality.
To quantify things a little bit: CD quality offers a bit depth of 16-bit and a sampling rate of 44.1KHz. Hi-Res Audio on the other hand is generally available in 24-bit, 96KHz format. Sampling frequency refers to the number of times samples are taken per second when the analogue sound waves are converted into digital. The more bits there are, the more accurately the signal can be measured in the first place. The difference between 16 and 24 bit sampling is a big step up and a study recently confirmed that people can tell the difference.
The most popular lossless audio formats include FLAC, ALAC, AIFF, WAV and DSD.
- FLAC is probably the most popular lossless format out of all of these. FLAC was introduced in 2001 and is an open format, so there are no costs or controls associated with it, making it very popular. The size of the music files is still reduced dramatically but in a way where theoretically no information is lost.
- ALAC is Apple’s version of a lossless format used in iTunes. It is an open format despite being an Apple product. It is very similar to FLAC apart from the fact that in true Apple fashion, Apple products can only play ALAC files.
- DSD is the true audiophile digital format, created by Philips and Sony for use in Super Audio CDs (SACD’s). Despite boasting some pretty impressive sampling rates, DSD never really took off.
- AIFF and WAV have been around for a long time. The downside of these formats is that they are very large and the files simply take up a lot of space.
One would think that DSD would be the pick of the bunch. We had a rummage through what’s available in Super Audio CD’s while at the Munich High-End show earlier this year and the answer is: very little. With AIFF and WAV taking up so much space and offering inferior metadata support to FLAC, ALAC or FLAC sort of become the obvious choice for a lot of people. Since these formats can easily be converted, it doesn’t matter too much which one you pick.
While there are other online spots for downloading your Hi-Res files like HD Tracks and Acoustic Sounds, record labels specializing in hi-Res recordings (Bluecoast records and Channel classics for examples) and Hi-fi brands turning their hand on Hi-Res downloads, it’s probably Jay-Z’s high-profile streaming service TIDAL Masters that makes the biggest play of its high quality audio offering.
We mentioned earlier file size as a big downside of Hi-Res Audio; Enter MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) files that fall a little short of 24-bit, but still fulfil the whole ‘better than CD-quality’ brief.
The beauty of MQA is that MQA files deliver this higher quality audio without requiring a monster internet connection or hefty data allowance. This makes it possible to stream HiRes Audio from your iPhone or Android Smartphone. No need to explain why many see it as the next big audio format for the streaming generation.
So what do you need to play Hi-Res files?
From AV receivers and stereo amps to all-in-one music systems and streamers, a growing number of products on the market are handling high-resolution audio including more recent products from Pioneer, Yamaha, Sony, Anthem, Chord, Onkyo, T+A, Mitchell & Johnson, Audeze, Autonomic, Elac, etc. There remains a certain amount of variation when it comes to file handling and maximum bitrate support on different devices, so check the specifications match your requirements before you buy a new product.
As for portable music players, many of you are probably familiar with the Fiio portable music player range that’ll handle 24-bit 192KHz FLAC and ALAC files, among others, showing that you don’t need to spend an awful lot of money to get on-board the Hi-Res wagon.
Aune is a brand that is also affordable and mainly known in audiophile circles.
Chord Poly is about to become available. Poly enables the award-winning Mojo headphone amp/DAC as a fully fledged high-resolution wireless network music player, streamer and SD card playback device. It offers wireless playback and control from smartphones.
Even headphones are going Hi-Res, requiring them to produce an upper frequency of at least 40kHz to be allowed to carry the label. This includes headphones from most headphone brands like Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, Audio Technica, etc.
As for multi-room audio in Hi-Res, there is life beyond Bluesound and its hefty price tag: the new RIVA Wand series with plenty of connectivity options and the Arena even allowing you to go portable up to 20 hours with its battery charger.
Source: What Hifi, Elac, Trusted Reviews, Fiio, Chord, Onkyo, Yamaha, Pioneer, Sony, Anthem, T+A, Autonomic, MQA, TIDAL
- Projector Lamp Longevity
Question: Do you have any idea why the colors of an InFocus projector have turned green-blue (or rather lost red) after only 250 hours? Is this an indication of lamp aging? - What is HDBaseT?HDBaseT™ is a technology that delivers high-definition video, audio, Ethernet networking, control signals, and power over a single Category 5E or Category 6 computer networking cable. The technology is meant to be used with consumer electronics and home theater equipment, and has a few benefits that are not offered by other types of connections. The initial version of the specification was announced in June 2010, and uses High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) signals over a network cable.
- Subwoofers: The Guts and the GlorySubwoofer design has undergone a revolution. No, the physics of woofers, amplifiers, and enclosures haven’t changed. But new technologies have made it possible to push the bass-ic laws of nature to their limits, such that the best of today’s inexpensive subwoofers can outperform many of the top models from 15 or 20 years ago.
- The Art of Subwoofer Placement
What’s the best location for my subwoofer? Like many things in life, subwoofer placement often involves compromise, and is typically driven by competing variables like décor and visual impact considerations, available floor space, and of course optimal sound quality. - The Cabinet & the SubwooferI’m in the interesting position of telling you how to do something with a subwoofer that you shouldn’t do. No, it’s not illegal. But in the ears of those for whom sound quality is more important than ergonomics, décor, and/or domestic tranquility, it’s definitely heretical.
- Do projection screens really differ?One person wrote recently that he was looking at three fixed-frame projector screens. All of them white, all of them the same size. One was $1800, one was $1200, and one was $600. Is there really any difference between them, or is it all just marketing?
- HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC)What is ARC (Audio Return Channel)?Audio return channel, or ARC, is a technology which allows sound to travel back to your ARC enabled AV receiver or sound bar, from your television.How does it work?
- HDMI Matrix Switchers
Home automation and sound distribution is no longer in the realms of science fiction – nowadays it is possible to have complete control of lighting, media systems, home audio, heating/air con, security systems, all nicely integrated into an easy to control software available at your fingertips anywhere throughout the home. - HDMI over Cat 5/6 Extender’s
When wanting to send an HDMI signal over greater distances within your home there are three common options to go for: direct HDMI cable, wireless HDMI and HDMI over Cat 5/6 extenders.The best solution so far in my opinion would be using a quality HDBaseT or similar single cat extender for a number of reasons, let’s take a brief look at the pros and cons of all three options: