No longer do you have to be a music label performer or engineer to get your hands on a high-resolution audio (HRA) player. Now HRA is mainstream due to the release and availability of more devices and services that support this type of audio format.
So why though would you want an HRA player? What makes it any different from music found on a standard music format such as Amazon, Spotify and Apple Music? Well, these types of music services often utilize compressed file formats that typically have low bitrates.
This translates into lousy compression meaning that much of the data is lost in the encoding process. That equates to a sacrifice in sound resolution due to the smaller file size.
While these types of files may work when running around a track exercising or sitting on a bus with your smartphone, for serious music fans it just isn’t enough.
That is why you need high-resolution audio! With HRA, audio files use a sampling frequency of 96kHz or 192kHz at 24 bit compared to music from CDs that provide 16 bit/44.1kHz.
For those that don’t know sampling frequency refers to the amount of times samples are taken per second with an analog sound wave is converted into digital. The higher the bits, the more accurately the signal can be measured. That’s means there is a big difference in quality between 24 and 16 bit.
So besides the superior sound quality why is high res audio better than other types of formats that involve compressions?
With a higher res sound, you are hearing music that most closely replicates the sound quality that a musician intended for the song to sound like when he or she created it in the studio. The music has much stronger detail and texture.
What makes high resolution audio even better is the lower price tag that now goes with it. For as little as $349 you can get a Cayin N5 Portable Music Player from Selby Acoustics.This portable device is great for storing and listening high-resolution audio music. Plus, not only can you listen to your favorite tunes crystal clear from a pair of headphones but also from a home stereo. It includes SD cart slots for expansive storage and a USB 3.0 connection that allows for quick file transfers.
If you are a big music buff there is nothing like high-resolution audio sound. You will never want to listen to music any other way!