Hi-Res audio is just a fancy way of saying that the music is at a
high resolution to provide the nuances of sound that the artist intended.
Enjoying high-quality audio is something that can be done at home and which
only requires a minimal adding to of the components already found in your home
theater in order to enjoy a superior quality sound that will make new titles,
as well as old favorites sound impressive.
So you’re sold on the
idea, but what has to be set up to make it happen? Here’s what is needed in order to be able
to enjoy Hi-Res audio.
Because Hi-Res audio files are digital, the audio player must be too. So that means the player
will have a hard drive to contain the files and store them for play. There will
also be ways to “move” the
audio from the Internet to get it from a PC and app control over it as well.
WiFi will also be present and used. Having an amplifier built-in will be useful
also (although those looking for portability via a “mobile” Hi-Res
audio player can use it with an existing receiver). Deciding on the model to
put in the home theater should be based on the features provided, how
comfortable you are with the brand providing the player and whether it has
those features that you feel are vital to your personal listening needs.
AMPLIFIER AND SPEAKERS
Hi-Res audio requires a strong sound field — and
by that we mean good quality speakers, not portable models that operate on
batteries. A pair of speakers — as in stereo — will
suffice, although having a surround sound system of multiple speakers can
increase the ambiance and “flavor” of
what’s being heard. The most important thing about the speakers
is that they “match up,” which is to say that the front left
and right (used in a standard stereo speaker configuration or as the left and
right “main” speakers) should be from the same
company as then they will have the same sonic resonance. Should a 5.1 or 7.1 audio system be present in the home theater,
then the center channel speaker should also be from the same company. And if
speakers need to be put into ceilings or mounted and so requires help, there
are professional installation companies that can be of
aid here.
The “power” that
drives the speakers comes from the amplifier, or as it is more commonly known
today, the A/V receiver. Not that a stereo receiver should be discounted — there
are those who swear by the simpler circuitry and less “bells and whistles” found
on a stereo receiver, because this can avoid any interference that otherwise
could be generated to influence and “color” the
sound. A stereo receiver will provide a strong and stable sound-field to the
two speakers attached to it and so is not to be disdained, especially among
audiophiles who continue to play vinyl.
But for those with a surround sound home theater, the A/V
receiver will be found. As noted above. it doesn’t just provide
multi-channel audio from a number of speakers (for example, a 5.1 system means a left/right speaker, a center
speaker and a pair of left/right surrounds, plus a subwoofer), but also
enhanced sound field options to simulate a “studio” environment
or a “concert” and others. You’ll also find such
enhancements as Bluetooth and other audio streaming technologies, along with
setup technologies for automating a well-modulated sound between all the
speakers, etc. But at its heart, the A/V receiver’s
job is to provide the “oomph” to
drive the sound to the speakers so that they can perform up to their capacity
and with a high standard of the audio being heard.
To use the existing audio receiver means using a portable Hi-Res
audio player that can output at the higher levels of frequency response. The
advantage of this is that you also now have the means for listening to Hi-Res
audio “on the go” and so not restricted to doing this
only at home.
THE AUDIO CONTENT
Content, meaning audio files, is of course paramount — if
there aren’t Hi-Res audio files to listen to, what’s
the purpose of being able to play them? Thanks to the Internet, getting Hi-Res
audio isn’t complicated at all: albums and tracks can be had from a
number of online vendors who make it feasible to download titles for home consumption.
These companies go by the name of Qobuz or HIGHRESAUDIO, HDMusicStore, LINN,
7digital and others. And while the audio formats might vary — being
DSD or WAV or AIFF or FLAC or PCM — they
all share the value of delivering the best sound possible for the original
content they are derived from.
The luxury of this is that you also now take over the means for listening to Hi-Res audio “on the go” so not restricted to doing this only in your house.
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