![]() ![]() ![]() The first number is bit-depth, which indicates the number of 'bits' of information present in each sample of the signal. ![]() The higher the sampling rate, the more times the audio signal has been sampled, and thus the more detail resolution you get. Sampling rate – the second number – refers to the number of times per second that the wave is measured during the analogue-to-digital conversion process. So what do the numbers mean? It might help to think of an audio signal as a sound wave being plotted on a graph. So a hi-res file can be 24-bit/44.1kHz, where bit-depth is higher than CD quality but sampling rate is the same, and vice versa. It also has a £250 ($250, AU$300) annual subscription called Studio Sublime that combines hi-res streaming with discounts on 24-bit download purchases.įirst things first, should you care about hi-res streaming? High-resolution (often shortened to 'hi-res') audio is a term used to describe music files that have a higher sampling frequency and/or bit depth than that of CD-quality, which is specified at 16-bit/44.1kHz. Qobuz, which was actually first to the hi-res streaming game (except in Australia, where it only launched in 2021) is still kicking about with a £15 ($15 and now, AU$25) per month hi-res service. So, is Tidal HiFi Plus the answer? It's certainly one answer, but there are other options. More recently, Tidal actually split its membership options into HiFi (with a resolution cap of 1411kbps, aka CD-quality streams) and HiFi Plus, offering up to 9216kbps along with Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality support, for the top-tier £20 fee. ![]() Since January 2017, its £20 ($20, AU$24) per month tier has granted access to hi-res (typically 24-bit/96kHz) Tidal Master streams, encoded using MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) technology. It is our favourite service, too, and holder of a 2021 What Hi-Fi? Award in the music streaming service category. Tidal is perhaps the most established in this realm. ![]()
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