Other formats include the uncompressed WAV and AIFF formats, DSD (the format used for Super Audio CDs) and MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) (which formerly powered Tidal’s hi-res audio streams). These larger file sizes have, however, been why Bluetooth hasn’t been able to pass through hi-res audio losslessly (i.e. without lossy compression) yet. That means that Spotify Lossless qualifies as hi-res, even though it is lower audio quality than that offered by rival streaming services.
The DX5 II’s DAC stage is built around twin ESS Technology ES9039Q2M DAC chips, employing the latest Hyperstream IV architecture to deliver what Topping claims is “ultra-low-noise and exceptional dynamic range”. 7 reasons why a DAC could be your music purchase of the year These will usually have even more inputs – particularly more niche sockets such as AES/EBU – and potentially more features, including perhaps a volume control so they can also be used as a pre-amp. Finally, some DACs are born to work as part of a bigger home audio system. Our Award-winning Chord Qutest DAC, for instance, doesn’t have headphone amplification or sockets, instead designed to slip into a speaker-fronted system, between a digital source and amplifier, to enhance performance.
The next and biggest obstacle for hi-res audio to overcome is its incompatibility with lossless Bluetooth transmission and thus wireless headphone playback. The value-packed streaming service is up there with the best thanks to its intuitive fxpcm desktop and mobile apps, good CD-quality and hi-res library, and excellent value. That’s just higher than CD quality (16-bit/44.1kHz), and much higher than Spotify’s standard 320kbps streams.
What type of DAC is right for you?
If you have a bigger budget available, take a look at our guides to the best soundbars overall and the best Dolby Atmos soundbars. Below, you will find only the very best budget soundbars, handpicked by our experts. We have reviewed hundreds of soundbars over the years, from premium models such as the KEF XIO to cheaper bars such as the Sonos Beam (Gen 2). There are plenty of soundbars you can snag for a more affordable price that will sound better than the majority of TVs. Finding a solid soundbar for your home cinema setup that doesn’t cost the earth can seem like an impossible task. The DX5 II sports a host of physical connections, too, including three digital inputs – USB, coaxial and optical – plus balanced XLR and single-ended RCA outputs.
WAV vs AIFF: uncompressed audio file formats
Each input a pair of active speakers offers is tested so that we can gauge performance consistency. We test them in their best use case with different partnering source kit, whether that is a phone or laptop playing from a supported streaming service over wi-fi or Bluetooth, or a price-comparable wired source component. We are always impartial in our testing and ensure we hear every pair of active speakers at its optimum, with sources we know and like.
- In addition to AAC, the entire Apple Music catalogue is also encoded using ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) in resolutions between 16-bit/44.1 kHz (CD quality) and 24-bit/192 kHz.
- Each speaker needs mains power, and if you connect them together using an ethernet cable you unlock 32-bit/192kHz playback (the wireless link is limited to 24-bit).
- Almost every TV has an optical output, but most monitors and consoles do not.
- IPhones, meanwhile, support a maximum 24-bit/48kHz output via the USB-C/Lightning-to-3.5mm adaptors for use with wired headphones, but anything higher (96kHz and 192kHz music, for example) requires plugging in a DAC.
The use of such lossy compression means data is lost in the encoding process, which in turn means resolution is sacrificed for the sake of convenience and smaller file sizes. The entire Apple Music catalogue uses ALAC, with streams ranging from 16-bit/44.1kHz up to 24-bit/192kHz. A hi-res file can typically be tens of megabytes in size, and a few tracks can quickly eat up the storage on your device. Sampling frequency (or sample rate) refers to the number of times samples of the signal are taken per second during the analogue-to-digital conversion process.
How we test active speakers
Premium wireless earbuds are his passion but he’s also keen on car tech and in-car audio systems and can often be found cruising the countryside testing the latest set-ups. In our experience, a coaxial connection tends to produce better audio quality than optical, allowing for a higher level of detail and greater dynamics. An optical connection also can’t support more than two channels of uncompressed PCM audio. Coaxial and optical can only transmit audio data, while HDMI brings the added bonus of supporting both audio and video. If you’ve ever owned a TV, DVD/Blu-ray player, set-top box, soundbar or AV receiver, chances are you’ll have come across either a coaxial, optical or, more recently, an HDMI connection.
- It can also be a soundbar alternative for your TV thanks to its optical input.
- Rival multi-room brands such as Bluesound and Denon HEOS offer hi-res playback across their (and their partners’) range of connected products too.
- Noise is bad news when it comes to sound quality, but it exists in all AV components to one degree or another.
- 7 reasons why a DAC could be your music purchase of the year
Coaxial digital connection
Essentially, an uncompressed track is a reproduction of the original audio file, where real-world signals are transformed into digital audio. Here’s a handy guide to all the file formats and the differences between them. Here we’ll break down what these file formats are, what makes them different from their alternatives and why that matters.
Where can you buy DSD audio files?
This distinction shouldn’t make much difference to how you listen to TV via your stereo active speakers, mind you. Passive speakers are your ‘standard’ driver-filled boxes that require an external stereo amplifier to make a sound. If your turntable doesn’t have one, look for active speakers with one integrated – and check our reviews for its performance ability – otherwise you will have to add an external phono stage between the two components. If you want to play vinyl through your active speakers, you’ll need either your record player or speakers to have a phono stage. You can always connect a dedicated music streamer down the road for high-performance streaming, or even just a Bluetooth receiver if you’re happy casually streaming music over your phone from time to time.
Does Tidal use MQA?
Another lossy format is AAC (Apple’s Advanced Audio Coding) which is compressed much like an MP3, but it’s slightly more efficient and sounds better. The former is a good iOS and Apple Music-compatible alternative to FLAC, although the files are slightly less compact than FLACs. Both WAV and AIFF files use similar technology, but store data in slightly different ways. It has poor metadata support (that is, album artwork, artist and song title information).
If you’re looking for a simple, constructive step up in sound from your TV’s in-built speakers, Sony’s SF150 offers a significant sonic enhancement for little outlay. Despite the lack of upward drivers, if space and budget are limited there isn’t a better Dolby Atmos soundbar that we’d recommend. The Beam Gen 2 offers an enveloping, spatial soundscape with rich, detailed audio. Instead, when watching Atmos content, two of the soundbar’s five front-facing arrays are dedicated to reproducing overhead and surround sounds.
It was previously used for Tidal Masters hi-res streaming, but in 2024 that switched to using FLAC. Convenient for storing music on phones and iPods. The downside is that it’s not supported by Apple (so not compatible with Apple Music).
With more information on the file to play with, hi-res audio boasts greater detail and texture, bringing listeners closer to the original performance – provided their hardware is transparent enough to reveal the extra detail available. It comes in 2.8MHz, 5.6MHz and 11.2MHz varieties, but isn’t as widely supported as some of the formats above. The relative merits of each of the formats can be argued, but the most crucial issue will be the file’s compatibility with your chosen products and software.
Why do I need a separate DAC?
The main benefit of high-resolution audio files is superior sound quality over compressed audio formats such as MP3 and AAC. The hi-res 24-bit/96kHz or 24-bit/192kHz files should, therefore, more closely replicate the sound quality the musicians and engineers were working with in the studio. In PCM, you will hear the audio only in stereo, but sending bitstream means your soundbar will be able to receive those lovely Dolby formats, including Atmos. Lossless files strike a good balance between compression and sound quality, allowing you to listen to the best quality digital music without taking up all your storage space. As for playing hi-res audio, an increasing amount of digital products now support it (and in many flavours, too) – from portable music players and phones to wireless speakers and all-in-one hi-fi systems. Quite simply, hi-res audio files have a lot of extra audio information and thus sound a lot better than compressed audio formats, which lose information in the compression process.
You won’t get the dynamic performance and detail of more premium models, but you could easily spend more and end up with less at this end of the soundbar spectrum. Still, if you’re after a dedicated bit of home cinema kit on a budget, the powerful-sounding HT-G700 serves up a seriously cinematic performance at a nice price. It also lacks music streaming features and voice control. Of course, being an entry-level Dolby Atmos soundbar, it doesn’t compare to the much pricier Sony HT-ST5000 in terms of clarity. Alongside HDMI ARC, it has an optical input supporting Dolby Digital, Dolby Dual mono and LPCM 2ch.
Where can you listen to DSD music?
With front-facing drivers, even basic, budget soundbars typically offer more direct and clear audio than a TV. If you are on the hunt for some extra guidance, you can always visit our dedicated guide on how to choose and set up a soundbar for some extra tips and advice. That means if you want to boost your soundbar’s lower frequencies, the best subwoofers can clock in at a bit of a higher price. Even an average-sounding ‘bar will absolutely smash most TVs for audio quality.
Finally, if you choose standmount (or ‘bookshelf’) active speakers, save room in your budget for a pair of high-quality speaker stands for them to perch on, unless their design suits a desktop. Generally speaking, while sound and aesthetic preferences are important factors in your buying decision, so are connectivity options – which active speakers you choose should also be based on how much source integration you require. As with everything, though, streaming implementation costs more and can affect the engineering of a product, so choose active speakers with streaming included only if you intend to use the feature.
Now that phones, music players and laptops have far more storage space, we think you really should be looking to use better-than-CD-quality files. When it comes to streaming, MQA is a file packing format used by the likes of Tidal Masters, which helps to bring hi-res audio to streaming services using as little bandwidth as possible. Uncompressed files like AIFF and WAV are hi-res, as are those lossless FLAC and ALAC file formats. However, in its simplest terms, hi-res audio tends to refer to music files that have a higher sampling frequency and/or bit depth than CD – which is specified at 16-bit/44.1kHz.
