24-bit/192kHz music downloads and why they make no sense (2012)
3 hours ago
- #audio-fidelity
- #digital-audio
- #sampling-rate
- 24/192 kHz digital music files offer no audible benefits and can slightly reduce fidelity due to ultrasonic intermodulation distortion.
- Human hearing range is limited to approximately 20Hz-20kHz, and 16-bit/44.1kHz audio already exceeds this dynamic and frequency range.
- Oversampling in modern ADCs/DACs allows high fidelity at standard rates without the drawbacks of high-rate distribution.
- Listening tests, such as the Boston Audio Society study, show no ability to distinguish between high-resolution and CD-quality audio.
- Confirmation bias and improper testing methods often lead to false perceptions of audio quality differences.
- Practical improvements for audio quality include better headphones, lossless formats, and higher-quality mastering, not higher sampling rates.