The use of the nomenclature “Hi-res Audio” came about when JEITA (Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association or Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association, in Portuguese) announced the certification on March 26, 2014. Thus, audio equipment that met the specifications defined by the JAS (Japan Audio Society) would earn the “Hi-res” logo.
If there was already a big war between people who believe that high resolution files can bring some audible improvement in headphones and those who say that it doesn’t matter, other factors do, with the creation of the “Hi-Res Audio” certification created in Japan, this movement intensified. Several manufacturers took advantage of the famous “Hi-res Audio” label to sell their products, because now they could stamp that their creations had superior performance compared to what was on the market. But what makes an audio or equipment capable of “Hi-res”? Is it really worth it? Where would your advantages be? Who would it be useful for? That’s what we’re going to find out.
What is Hi-Res Audio Certification?
Announced by JEITA (Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association or Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association, in Portuguese) on March 26, 2014, Hi-Res certification is a set of specifications that must be followed to if you have the right to use the seal with the famous logo. According to JAS (Japan Audio Society), music production companies and audio product developers must adhere to the following specifications in the process of recording, playback and signal transition:
analog process
- Microphone Response Performance: 40 kHz or higher while recording
- Amplification performance: 40 kHz or higher
- Speakers and headphones performance: 40 kHz or higher
digital process
- Recording Format: Recording capability using 96kHz/24bit resolution or higher
- I/O (input/output) (Interface): Input/output interface with 96kHz/24bit resolution or higher
- Decoding: 96kHz / 24bit resolution files playback or higher (both FLAC and WAV required)
Observation: In case of automatic recording equipment, FLAC or WAV file is required as a minimum condition.
- Digital Signal Processing: DSP processing with 96kHz/24bit resolution or higher
- D/A Conversion (Digital/Analog): Digital-to-analog conversion processing with 96 kHz / 24-bit resolution or higher.
Hearing assessment
- The audition evaluation process is required by each candidate.
- Each candidate must assign the Audio/Sound QA Manager in addition to the Product QA Manager.
- The audio/sound quality control manager should be responsible for the final decision as the high resolution product will pass as per each company’s sound assessment standard.
List of devices certified as Hi-Res Audio and submission form
Check here the list of devices certified with the Hi-Res Audio seal. If you want to register your audio or music product as Hi-Res, go here and follow the steps.
Additional condition for wireless digital audio data transfer
On November 28, 2018 JAS introduced the “Hi-Res Audio Wireless” certification. According to JAS, the audio conditions mentioned above must be respected in devices that wish to receive the Hi-Res Audio Wireless seal, that is, for the product to receive this certification, it must be considered “Hi-Res” according to the criteria imposed by the Japanese Audio Association. Check below the requirements to have the seal “Hi-Res Audio Wirelesss”:
Wireless audio transfer (Bluetooth)
- Wireless Audio Data Transfer must connect Products certified with the “Hi-Res Audio” or “Hi-Res Audio Wirelesss” label.
- Wireless (Bluetooth) audio data transfer must use the audio codec defined by JAS for this purpose.
- Wireless audio data transfer must not have enough bandwidth to transfer digital audio data defined in the “digital process” (cited above).
Wireless (Bluetooth) transfer may not work properly in some environments or if the user uses it incorrectly. To avoid this, consult the product manual for the best audio quality to meet the “Hi-Res Audio Wireless” certification.
Certified Bluetooth audio codecs for “Hi-Res Audio Wireless”:
What is the difference between Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Audio
A high resolution file does not necessarily have a sampling rate of 96Khz as required in the “Hi-Res Audio” certification. An example of this is the HDTracks website, which accepts files with resolutions from 44khz/24bits to 352khz/24bits.
It is important to point out that in order to obtain these aforementioned classifications, the codec used cannot use sound optimizations, as occurs with MP3 and AAC, only carrying out the encoding to compress the file size, so that when the file is uncompressed, it is generated a copy identical to the original data.
Recommended article to read:
What are the advantages of Hi-Res audio?
The only advantage would be during the process of recording, editing takes, mixing and mastering the song. Because that way, it is easier for the sound engineer to manipulate the file more freely. Bearing in mind that the medium where the audio files will be recorded may influence the sound quality reproduced, such as CD and its variants, Vinyl (LP), cassette tape (popularly called K7 tape), streaming music, among others.
Even if you do an excellent sound processing of the music and use a good recording medium for later reproduction, the Hi-Res audio will not bring audible differences to the listener when used as a transducer, an earphone. In some cases, in well-tuned speaker systems, it is possible to distinguish the difference. I mean, is it really worth it?
Thinking this way, Hi-Res audio is only really useful for the process of creating a song, playing 96khz/24bit files on a PC (notebook or desktop), smartphone, tablet and DAPs (digital audio players) is meaningless, because the only result it will have is fast filling up of the device’s HDD or flash memory.
Recommended article to read:
Main audio file formats
To better exemplify the files that can be considered Hi-Res Audio or have high-resolution audio, I made a list of the main ones used in the current market:
- MP3 (compressed with sound optimizations): Not considered Hi-Res Audio and does not have Hi-Res Audio.
- Ogg (compressed with sound optimizations): Not considered Hi-Res Audio and does not have Hi-Res Audio.
- AAC (compressed with sound optimizations): Not considered Hi-Res Audio and does not have Hi-Res Audio.
- Opus (compressed with sound optimizations): Not considered Hi-Res Audio and does not have Hi-Res Audio.
- ALAC (compressed with no loss of quality compared to the original file): May be considered Hi-Res Audio and is considered High-Resolution Audio.
- FLAC (compressed with no loss of quality compared to the original file): May be considered Hi-Res Audio and is considered High-Resolution Audio.
- WAV (compressed with no loss of quality compared to the original file): May be considered Hi-Res Audio and is considered High-Resolution Audio.
Recommended article to read:
What do I need to play Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Audio?
In the case of music reproduction using wired audio systems, it is necessary to respect the recording, reproduction and signal transition specifications imposed by the (Japan Audio Society). That is, during music recording, the microphone used must be able to capture audio with a resolution of 40khz or more, the signal amplification must be done with 40khz or more and the speaker or headphones must be capable of play at 40khz or more. However, to be able to read the music file in the required resolution, 96khz/24bit, it is necessary to have a DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) capable of converting the signal to this resolution, in addition to a player (software to play the files) that supports read files with these parameters.
If the equipment used is able to read files within the specifications defined by JAS, it means that it will also be able to read audio files in high resolution.
Smartphones with Hi-Res Audio
If you listen to music on mobile devices, smartphones are increasingly supporting high-resolution playback. This is restricted to top Android models such as the current Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+ and S20 ultra (both also support DSD files), Samsung Galaxy S10 and its variants, ASUS Zenfone 4, 5 and 6. LG’s smartphones from the V30, V40, V50 and V60 ThinQ are the only ones to offer MQA compatibility, while Samsung’s new S20 supports Dolby Atmos.
The iPhones 8, XS and 11 do not currently support Hi-Res audio. Although the FLAC format is listed in the specifications of Apple smartphones, the device does not natively support the lossless audio format. But there is a way around this, which is using external DACs and third-party players (applications).
Tablets with Hi-Res Audio
Some high-resolution tablets are also compatible with the technology, such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6. Several new compatible models have been released, including Huawei’s M6 and Onkyo Granbeat tablet.
Digital Audio Players (DAPs) or Portable Music Players
If the person listens to many hours of music a day or wants a quality above that of smartphones or has a more demanding headset in terms of amplification, the DAP is the right choice. Currently, there are many portable music players with the Hi-Res label, such as models developed by Sony, FiiO, iBasso, Astell & Kern, Hiby, Shanling, Cayin, among others.
Desktop or notebook with Hi-Res Audio
If you listen to music on your desktop or laptop notebook (Windows, Mac, Linux), make sure your onboard or offboard sound card has a DAC capable of playing Hi-Res music. Also check that the software you use to play your music supports playing the required audio file formats and resolution. Apple’s iTunes, for example, doesn’t support it even if you have a MacBook, so you’ll need to purchase and download separate music player software.
Check out music players below to play music in high resolution on computer:
- AIMP
- Album Player
- foobar2000
- JRiver
- Hysolid
- MusicBee
