By Ethan Winer
Guest Columnist http://ethanwiner.com/
There's a lot of interest in "high definition" (HD) audio by both audiophiles and professional recording engineers. Standard CD-quality recording uses a sample rate of 44.1 KHz with a bit depth of 16 bits. Sampling at 44.1 KHz allows capturing frequencies slightly higher than the accepted upper limit of around 20 KHz (for young people), and 16 bits provides a very low noise floor 96 dB below the music. Many tests over the years have concluded that nobody can reliably identify CD-quality versus higher resolutions, yet some people still believe that HD audio sounds better, with more realism and clarity. This belief is driven by two myths: 1) ultrasonic freqencies can affect frequencies we do hear, and 2) having 24 bits affords more resolution than 16 bits because there are more vertical "steps" between each sample's volume level. But neither belief is true - ultrasonic frequencies don't interact in the audible range unless distortion is present, and digital audio is continuous without steps. The only thing bit depth affects is the level of background noise.
One potential objection by HD enthusiasts to formal tests is that people are forced to listen through an unfamiliar system in an unfamiliar room. Another objection is they might be stressed from being put under pressure to "perform" while being tested. So I created sample files people can download and play in the comfort of their own environment, to learn if they really can hear a difference between CD-quality and HD audio at 24 bits and 96 KHz. You'll play these files through your own loudspeakers or headphones as often as you'd like, until you believe you can tell which file in each pair is the HD version. This avoids being put on the spot in front of others at a formal blind test, or missing some small detail you might have heard had you been able to play the files a few more times. Read more....
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