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High-resolution audio usually means digital audio with a sample rate, bit depth, or both above the CD reference of 44.1 kHz and 16-bit. There is no single universal cutoff: the term may describe a file under common usage, while the Japan Audio Society’s Hi-Res Audio logo identifies products that meet additional equipment and evaluation criteria.
What do sample rate and bit depth mean?
Sample rate is how many samples of an audio signal are recorded or played each second, expressed in kilohertz (kHz). Bit depth is the number of bits used to represent each sample in pulse-code modulation (PCM) audio. CD audio uses 44.1 kHz and 16-bit PCM, the reference point commonly used when describing high-resolution audio.
The Audio Engineering Society (AES) describes high-resolution audio in common usage as digital formats whose sample rates and bit depths exceed the CD values. It also cautions that formats are “only delivery modes”: a file’s technical settings do not, by themselves, establish the quality of its recording, mastering, or playback. AES: High-Resolution Audio
What sample rate and bit depth count as hi-res?
The answer depends on which definition is being used. In the examples on the Japan Audio Society (JAS) page reproducing the JEITA convention, a higher sample rate or a higher bit depth can qualify: both do not have to exceed CD values.
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| Sample rate and bit depth | JEITA-reference example on the JAS page |
|---|---|
| 44.1 kHz / 24-bit | Hi-res example: bit depth is higher than CD |
| 48 kHz / 24-bit | Hi-res example |
| 96 kHz / 16-bit | Hi-res example: sample rate is higher than CD |
| 96 kHz / 12-bit | Not a hi-res example: bit depth is lower than CD |
| 32 kHz / 24-bit | Not a hi-res example: sample rate is lower than CD |
These are examples under the convention described by JAS, not a universal rule adopted by every organization. Higher-resolution PCM commonly appears as 24-bit/96 kHz or 24-bit/192 kHz, but neither should be presented as the minimum hi-res threshold without naming the framework. JAS: Hi-Res Definition and Operation
Is FLAC the same thing as hi-res audio?
No. FLAC is a lossless audio format, not a resolution category. A FLAC file can contain CD-resolution audio or PCM at higher sample rates and bit depths. WAV and AIFF likewise identify formats, not the resolution of a particular recording.
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- Connect to a PC to access your music collection
The IETF’s FLAC specification allows PCM sample rates from 1 to 1,048,575 Hz and bit depths from 4 to 32 bits. Those are specification limits, not typical playback settings or a recommendation. To identify a file’s resolution, check its actual metadata rather than relying on its extension. IETF RFC 9639: Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC)
Metadata still cannot establish provenance. A higher-resolution file does not prove the source was recorded or mastered at that resolution, and a hi-res badge alone does not tell you whether the signal has been preserved well through the reproduction chain.
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What does the JAS Hi-Res Audio logo mean?
The JAS Hi-Res Audio logo is a qualification for products, not simply a label for an individual audio file. Its criteria extend across the product’s signal path. The English criteria include digital recording, input/output, decoding, digital signal processing, and digital-to-analog conversion capability at 96 kHz/24-bit or above. For relevant analog components, including microphones during recording and amplifiers, speakers, or headphones during playback, the criteria include frequency response at or above 40 kHz. The requirements vary by product role.
JAS also requires applicants to organize a listening evaluation and assign responsibility for sound quality. Its listed file-playback requirement specifies FLAC and WAV support, with an exception for self-recording equipment. The criteria were last updated on November 9, 2022. JAS: Hi-Res Audio Logo
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JAS has a separate Hi-Res Audio Wireless logo regime for wireless audio-transfer products, with additional wireless conditions alongside other applicable requirements. A product logo therefore indicates that the product meets the relevant criteria; it does not prove that every recording carrying a hi-res label will sound better to every listener.
What can a hi-res label tell you—and what can’t it?
- It can describe technical settings: sample rate and bit depth can be compared with the CD reference, subject to the definition being used.
- It can identify product qualification: the JAS logo reflects requirements for relevant equipment and processes, not just file metadata.
- It cannot establish source quality on its own: an extension, resolution figure, or badge does not reveal the recording’s provenance or mastering.
- It cannot settle audibility for every case: the AES treats signal quality and the full reproduction chain as broader questions than format labels alone.
When comparing files, check sample rate and bit depth separately from format, then consider what is known about the source and mastering. When evaluating a logo claim, distinguish the product’s capability and signal path from the characteristics of a particular recording.
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