What exactly is high-resolution audio, and do you really need it?

 What exactly is high-resolution audio, and do you really need it?

Can you distinguish between them? The impact of high-resolution audio is still up for discussion. Explore the details, contrast with lossless, and determine whether going for high-resolution is worthwhile for you in this situation.

Whether you refer to it as high-resolution audio, hi-res audio, or HD audio, the word has gained popularity recently. It describes a sound quality that is more similar to the original recording than the compressed formats that the majority of listeners use. Music streaming services are also following this trend: Spotify is anticipated to follow Apple Music in implementing lossless audio in the near future.

Many music fans are excited to hear their favourite tunes in high-resolution and in a brand-new way. But what precisely is high-resolution audio, how does it vary from other terminology used to describe audio, such as hi-fi, and how important is it? We're here today to find out.

What is hi-res audio exactly?

Digital music files with higher sound quality than CDs or MP3s are known as hi-res audio. You might be curious as to what distinguishes high-resolution audio from other formats. Actually, it has to do with the manner in which the sound is captured and saved in the file.

Sound is turned into digital data when it is captured by periodically monitoring the sound wave. We refer to this as sampling. The digital representation of the ringing will be more accurate the more samples you collect per second. 

The unit of measurement is kilohertz (kHz), and it is referred to as the sampling rate. The sampling rate for CD-quality audio is 44.1 kHz, or 44,100 samples per second. A sample rate of 96 kHz or more is standard for high-resolution audio, which allows for greater sound wave information to be recorded.

The amount of bits utilised to hold each sample, or bit depth, is another element that influences the audio quality. The bit depth of audio at CD quality is 16 bits. Contrast that with the 24-bit audio bit depth and 48kHz to 192kHz sample rates offered by Apple Music.

What distinguishes high-resolution audio from lossless audio?

To better grasp how high-resolution audio functions and what you need to enjoy it, let's clear up one more issue before moving on. Though some people may use the phrases interchangeably, hi-res audio and lossless audio have separate meanings.

To clarify, let me use this straightforward comparison. Consider that you possess a landscape painting. In high-resolution audio, every brushstroke and detail can be seen, much like in high-resolution photos of paintings. Having a duplicate of an artwork that is identical to the original thanks to lossless audio 

without alterations or harm. Both high-resolution and lossless audio strive to maintain the musical quality, although they do this in various ways. While lossless audio reduces the file size without sacrificing any information, high-resolution audio enhances the amount of information collected in the recording. You could like one over the other or both, depending on your tastes and available equipment.

Is high-resolution audio genuinely audible?

On this matter, the verdict is still pending. Even if there appears to be a huge numerical difference between high-resolution audio and CD-quality audio, or even non-hi-res codecs (like AAC), the advantages are a contentious subject.

However, the difference will be glaring when compared to crappy MP3. The difference ultimately depends on the type of audio format you're switching from.

Just remember that the phrase "hi-res audio" refers to audio that supports frequencies that are audible to the human ear and higher. Hearing ranges for humans are between 20Hz to 20kHz. When using the Nyquist-Shannon theorem, which states that you only need a sample rate that is twice the maximum audio frequency you wish to capture, this value is crucial. Based on this, we can theoretically detect the difference up to a sample rate of 40kHz as people can hear up to about 20kHz.

However, high-resolution audio may go up to 384KHz, which is a lot higher. The majority of people can't notice the difference, despite what some people claim, and that's okay since our ears aren't made for it.

What is required to hear music in actual high definition?

Amazon Music is the most recent in a long list of music streaming services that enable high-resolution audio. While Tidal, Deezer, and Qobuz may have caught the attention of audiophiles, the truth is that the only services providing lossless/hi-res audio streaming in India are Amazon Music and Apple Music. For years, Spotify has also said it's working on launching a new membership tier that supports high-resolution audio, but this hasn't happened yet.

After purchasing the appropriate software, you must next spend money on the appropriate hardware. The general rule is that lossless audio is supported by all wired earphones and headphones. The playback device, such as your smartphone, laptop, or portable music player, is an additional crucial element of a hi-res audio system. You might need to install a special programme or piece of software to decode and play high-resolution audio files because not all devices can do it natively.

Naturally, you also need a set of speakers or headphones that are capable of reproducing the high frequencies and broad dynamic range of hi-res music. Remember that the output of the sound will not be properly hi-res if even one of these bits is missing.

It is widely acknowledged that no Bluetooth version can currently transmit high-resolution, lossless audio. Certain Bluetooth codecs, like Qualcomm's aptX Adaptive, Sony's LDAC, Savitech's LHDC, and others, may broadcast slightly lossy high-resolution audio. These codecs are supported by more expensive headphones and earbuds. The only catch is that for the two to function together, you also need a smartphone, laptop, tablet, or TV that supports the same format as your headphones.