Does High-Res Audio Really Sound Better?

Filed under: Home Audio


- Image Source: PascalMagdinier.com

A very interesting study was released by the Journal of the Audio Engineering Society called "Audibility of a CD-Standard A/D/A Loop Inserted Into High-Resolution Audio Playback." The test, conducted by authors David Moran and Brad Meyer, was designed to show whether people picked for their audio or music knowledge or good hearing could hear any differences between high-resolution audio and the 44.1kHz/16-bit CD standard. A double-blind "ABX" comparison system was used where one position played SACDs and DVD-As, and on the other position the output from the SACD player was first passed through the AD/DA converters of an HHB CD recorder to cut the output resolution down to the CD standard of 16-bit/44.1kHz. There were 60 subjects and 554 trials that occurred over a year long period. The listeners correctly identified whether the source was high or standard resolution almost exactly half the time. Audiophiles and working engineers did slightly better with 52.7% correct responses, while interestingly, those with hearing above 15kHz and women (who are generally considered to have better hearing than men) did worse, at 45.3% and 37.5% correct respectively. The study concluded that not a single listener could consistently distinguish between high-resolution audio and audio played at the CD standard.

Despite the test conclusion being that 24-bit/96kHz resolution itself offers no audible benefit, the authors wrote that "virtually all of the SACD and DVD-A recordings sounded better than most CDs - sometimes much better." Their reasoning behind this was that the improved sonics were coming not from increased resolution but from better mixing and production by the audiophile labels producing SACDs and DVD-As. "Engineers and producers are being given the freedom to produce recordings that sound as good as they can make them, without having to compress or equalize the signal to suit lesser systems and casual listening conditions. These recordings seem to have been made with great care and manifest affection by engineers trying to please themselves and their peers."

It's worth mentioning that the double-blind test used in the "Analog vs. Digital" story on PBS had the same results, 50/50. As I was with that conclusion, I'm not convinced that the high-res formats offer no sonic benefits whatsoever because of a DB-ABX test. The equipment, source material, and locations were all unfamiliar to the listeners. If this kind of test were done on for example Robert Harley's reference system, in his listening room, with material that he was intimately familiar with, and they just didn't tell him what the resolution was, then the results might have some real merit.