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High resolution audio inquery

What 'hi-res audio' statements do you agree with? [multiple answers accepted]

  • Hi-res branding is clear - I know what sound quality I am buying

    Votes: 1 2.4%
  • Audio generated from analog masters is hi-res

    Votes: 1 2.4%
  • Upsampled audio generated from standard definition masters is high-res

    Votes: 1 2.4%
  • Hi-res audio requires an analog+digital recording/mastering chain of at least 24bit/88.2kHz

    Votes: 13 31.0%
  • I can hear better sound quality of hi-res files generated from analog/stardard def masters

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I can hear better sound quality of hi-res files mastered at least 24bit/88.2kHz

    Votes: 2 4.8%
  • MQA is hi res

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Hi-res is just too confusing, I don't care anymore

    Votes: 10 23.8%
  • We're all being taken for fools by the whole 'Hi-Res' confidence trick

    Votes: 28 66.7%
  • None of those

    Votes: 4 9.5%

  • Total voters
    42
D

Deleted member 30699

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A couple of more detailed hi-res audio questions - for future reference.
Multiple answers are accepted and I am happy to add relevant poll questions - feel free to suggest.

Edit/clarification: can hear better sound quality of hi-res files mastered at least 24bit/88.2kHz: 24bit/88.2kHz should be interpreted as anything mastered in better than 16bit/44.1kHz
(I cannot change the poll at this stage)
 
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solderdude

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I would like to add the option:

Hires is everything at or above 44.1/24 coming from masters having at least the same or higher resolution than the format it is sold in.

Recordings can still sound crap though. It is no guarantee for a high quality recording. It is only about resolution.
 
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I upsample all my music, multiple times depending on the recording, the better the recording the better the resolution.

IMO what is called Hi-Res by the audio community is a scam. The best I have heard is uncompressed pcm stereo from blu ray concerts, upsampled. Being a concert blu ray doesn't guarantee that it is going to be Hi Resolution, generally speaking it usually has better audio quality than the CD versions.
 
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I would like to add the option:

Hires is everything at or above 44.1/24 coming from masters having at least the same or higher resolution than the format it is sold in.

Recordings can still sound crap though. It is no guarantee for a high quality recording. It is only about resolution.

Unfortunately, I cannot change change the answers anymore since votes have been cast.
Please interpret hi-res is at least 24/88.2 as 24bit and/or 88.2kHz.
 

Sal1950

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You should have one more choice in there.

Only recordings sourced from Digital masters at better than Redbook should be labeled HiRez
 
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You should have one more choice in there.

Only recordings sourced from Digital masters at better than Redbook should be labeled HiRez

Agreed - this was the idea behind 24bit/88.2 - cant edit anymore but I clarify in first post to interpret that answer as such!
 

Sal1950

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Agreed - this was the idea behind 24bit/88.2 - cant edit anymore but I clarify in first post to interpret that answer as such!
That includes Analog which should NEVER be labeled as HR.
Are you sure you can't edit a poll?
 

Beershaun

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I would like to add the option:

Hires is everything at or above 44.1/24 coming from masters having at least the same or higher resolution than the format it is sold in.

Recordings can still sound crap though. It is no guarantee for a high quality recording. It is only about resolution.

+1. hi-res is a technical attribute. 24bit depth and sample rate higher than 44.1khz.
 
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This is not necessary, any decent DAC does this internally.

I have 173 gigs of my favorites that have been upsampled multiple time with dacs, it works. I use 3 dacs my method is a secret.
 

Sal1950

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How about anything mastered in better than 16bit/44.1kHz?
Yes, of course, to be HiDef the master has to have been done at better than Redbook, and then the commercial release at better than RedBook, That can then legitimately be called HiDef.

I have 173 gigs of my favorites that have been upsampled multiple time with dacs, it works. I use 3 dacs my method is a secret.
It works to do what? It's not going to sound any better, you can't add in more information that didn't exist on the master..
Simply a waste of space.
 

PierreV

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I have 173 gigs of my favorites that have been upsampled multiple time with dacs, it works. I use 3 dacs my method is a secret.

SQA? (Secret Quality Assured)
 
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solderdude

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Unfortunately, I cannot change change the answers anymore since votes have been cast.
Please interpret hi-res is at least 24/88.2 as 24bit and/or 88.2kHz.

44.1/24 is much higher resolution than 88.2/16. Anything above RBCD format can be considered HiRes.
44.1 to 88.2 doesn't increase the resolution that much. It just extends frequency response. Most folks think that's the important part of 'increased resolution' but it doesn't really increase resolution.
Going from 16 to 24 bits (in practice from 16 to about 20-22 bits) is a substantial increase in resolution.
Well....48/16 is about the same resolution but technically is 'above' RBCD so would still call that urm.... StandardRes.
Vinyl / tape is LoRes but frequency extension can be higher.

With all formats, from low to high res one can distribute excellent quality recordings. This all depends on what has expired before it went in the distribution format.

Most folks don't know but one can even encode 44.1/24 or 48/24 in MP3 and you can have HiRes MP3
 

solderdude

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44.1/24 is much higher resolution than 88.2/16. Anything above RBCD format can be considered HiRes.
44.1 to 88.2 doesn't increase the resolution that much. It just extends frequency response. Most folks think that's the important part of 'increased resolution' but it doesn't really increase resolution.
Going from 16 to 24 bits (in practice from 16 to about 20-22 bits) is a substantial increase in resolution.
Well....48/16 is about the same resolution but technically is 'above' RBCD so would still call that urm.... StandardRes.
Vinyl / tape is LoRes but frequency extension can be higher.

With all formats, from low to high res one can distribute excellent quality recordings. This all depends on what has expired before it went in the distribution format. It's the recording and distribution format that determines the resolution.

Most folks don't know but one can even encode 44.1/24 or 48/24 in MP3 and you can have HiRes MP3

One can make recordings on DXD in the highest possible resolution and distribute it in LoRes or 'StandardRes' and it still will be LoRes or Standard Res
 
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