What Is High-Resolution Audio?
When it comes to music, Hi-Res Audio is harder to find. The main way most of us listen is via streaming on portable devices, such as the iPod and smartphones. Although very convenient, this trend has actually taken us backward in terms of what we settle for as a good music listening experience.
In the last few years, "High-Resolution Audio" (or "Hi-Res audio") has slowly but surely hit the mainstream, thanks to the release of more products, streaming services and even smartphones supporting the Hi-Res standards.
What we mean by that is the file formats used by streaming services are of lower quality. When compared to the CD format, MP3 files and streamed music from iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, (and others) simply contain fewer data to make the music. In order to fit the music into a format that can be easily streamed, and provide listeners the ability to store lots of songs on a portable music player or smartphone, as much as 80 percent of the information present in the recording of the original performance may be deleted.
Enter Hi-Res Audio
As a result of the proliferation of poor-quality music listening, a strategy has been implemented to bring back high-quality two-channel audio by extending the capabilities of downloadable music so that it matches, or surpasses, CD quality.
Just as High-Definition revolutionized movie watching, you can now enjoy a defining listening experience with High-Resolution Audio. Using a higher sampling rate than in CDs for the encoding and playback of music, it brings your favorite tracks to life in a new way through pin sharp clarity and nuances.