where to buy hi res audio Archives

What is high resolution audio?

Free Download Mp4Gain

What is high resolution audio?

When it comes to music, Hi-Res Audio, also called Hi-Res Audio, is harder to find. The main way most of us listen to music is by streaming to portable devices like smartphones. While very convenient, this trend has set us back in terms of what we consider a good music listening experience.

High-Res Audio

By this we mean that the file formats used by streaming services are of lower quality. Compared to CD format, MP3 files and music streaming from iTunes, Yandex.Music, Spotify and other services simply contain less data to create music. To put music in a format that can be easily streamed and give listeners the ability to store many songs on a portable music player or smartphone, 80% of the information present in the original recording can be removed.

What is Hi-Res Audio?

Due to the proliferation of the experience of listening to low-quality music, a strategy has been put in place to bring back high-quality two-channel audio by expanding the capabilities of downloadable and playable music to match or exceed CD quality. This initiative is called Hi-Res Audio, Hi-Res Music or HRA. For the purposes of this article, we are referring to the most common term: High Resolution Audio.

CD quality benchmark

The CD format is considered the benchmark that separates low-resolution audio from high-resolution audio. Technically speaking, Audio CD is an uncompressed digital format that is represented by 16-bit PCM with a sample rate of 44.1 kHz.

Anything below the CD breakpoint, such as MP3, AAC, WMA, and other highly compressed formats, is considered low-resolution audio, and anything above is considered high-resolution audio.

Hi-Res Audio Formats

High-resolution audio is provided on physical media in HDCD, SACD, and DVD-Audio formats. However, with many no longer using physical media, a strategic step has been taken to provide listeners with the ability to access high-definition audio through downloads and streaming.

Non-physical high-resolution digital audio formats include ALAC, AIFF, FLAC, WAV, DSD (the same format used in SACDs), and PCM (with a higher sample rate and bits than CDs).

Free Download Mp4Gain

Mp4Gain Main Window

Mp4Gain Features

Free Download Mp4Gain

Hi-Res Audio Files

Hi-Res Audio Files

Hi-Res Audio

Audio files 192 kHz / 24 bit, 176/24, 96/24, 9624, 24 bit / 96 kHz, 24/96, FLAC96, 192WAV, etc.

Lossless or uncompressed compressed digital files to accurately store and reproduce pulse code modulation (PCM) digitized sound. Audio files are generally considered High Definition (BP) files if they have a sample rate of 88.2 or 176.4 kHz (multiples of 44.1 kHz), 96 or 192 kHz (multiples of 48 kHz) or higher and 24 bits or higher.

For accurate sound reproduction, files must be in lossless formats. The most commonly used formats (codecs) are WAV, FLAC, WMA, AIFF and ALAC. WAV (Waveform Audio Format) is a format commonly used as a wrapper for uncompressed audio digitized using PCM. FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec – open lossless audio codec) is a popular audio compression format that does not remove any information from the audio stream and is suitable for both listening to music on high-quality audio equipment and for storing a collection audio on a hard drive. WMA (Windows Media Audio) is a compressed format developed by Microsoft (UNITED STATES). For accurate sound reproduction, the Lossless version is preferred. AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) was developed by Apple Computer (USA) in two versions: with and without compression, and is most often used on Apple computers. ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec) is an open source lossless audio codec also developed by Apple. There are also other formats for storing and playing audio files.

Audio files can be exact (“bitwise”) copies of studio master files, their variants with different sample rates and bit depths, or digital files obtained by digitizing analog audio recordings.

To put audio files on the hard drive of a computer or music server, you can download them from the Internet, transfer them from another PC, flash drive, or optical disc. An example of the latter is HRx discs

DXD (Digital eXtreme Definition) is a BP format that was initially used only for professional sound recording. The DXD format uses PCM to digitally encode audio data with a sample rate of 352.8 kHz and 24 or 32 bits. The DXD format was developed in 2004 by Digital Audio Denmark (Denmark) and was originally used to record and process sound in the production of super-audio discs.

However, it later began to be used as a standalone digital audio recording format. Since 2012, DXD music files are distributed on the Internet. The release of consumer DACs that support this format is expanding.

In addition to the aforementioned formats, in which the signal was digitized using PCM, since 2010 DSD audio files have been distributed on the Internet, in which another technology was used for encoding: Direct Stream Digital (direct digital stream), based on sigma-delta modulation. This is the same technology that is used in SACDs (see below). DSD audio files have the extension DFF or DSF.

Encoding with different sampling rates is used: 2.8224 MHz, such as SACD (often referred to as DSD64, as this frequency is 64 times higher than CD, or single DSD, DSD1), with a frequency twice as high high: 5.6448 MHz (designated DSD128, 2xDSD, DSD2, 5.6MHz DSD or Double-DSD), four times higher: 11.2896 MHz (DSD256, 4xDSD, DSD4, 11.2MHz DSD or Quad-DSD) and even eight times higher higher than 22.5792 MHz (DSD512, 8xDSD, DSD8, 22.5MHz DSD or Octuple-DSD). There are also DSD files in multiples of 48 kHz – 3.072 / 6.144 / 12.288 / 24.576 MHz.

With the appropriate software and DAC, DSD audio files can be played from a computer in their native format, or they can be converted to PCM files for playback using non-DSD digital-to-analog converters.

MQA is a compression technology proposed in December 2014 by the British company Meridian Audio, which previously developed the MLP method for DVD audio discs (see below). MQA (Master Quality Authenticated, Russia Confirmed Studio Quality) technology is based on the use of a special codec that allows you to significantly reduce (by an order of magnitude) the size of a digital audio file to simplify its transmission and storage , and then decode without degrading sound quality, according to the company. …

Everything you need to know about high resolution

Everything you need to know about high resolution

Hi-Res Audio

High Definition Audio is the choice of the most dedicated digital music fans. What is it, where to get it, and what does it take to hear it?

Hi-Res Audio

If you’re a bit interested in digital music (whether it’s listening to CDs or streaming from Spotify on your smartphone), you’ve probably come across the term “high-definition audio” or “high-resolution audio.”

In recent years, the popularity of Hi-Res Audio is slowly but surely gaining momentum, fueled by the emergence of new components, streaming services, and even smartphones that support this standard. Until recently, it was a niche segment for a narrow circle of insiders, but today everyone wants to join it.

If you want to get the best possible music listening experience, or at least better sound quality, you should familiarize yourself with the concept of Hi-Res Audio.

This perspective is a bit overwhelming as it involves many factors. What is Hi-Res Audio? What do all these formats and numbers mean? Where can I get high-quality files and on what devices can I play them? Finally, where do you start?

Our guide to the world of Hi-Res Audio will help you understand the matter in depth. After reading this material to the end, you will be armed with all the necessary knowledge and take the first step into the magical world of the best sound.

WHAT IS HI-RES-AUDIO?

Unlike HD video, there is still no universal standard for high definition audio. Digital Entertainment Group, Consumer Electronics Association and The Recording Academy, as well as the largest recording companies define it as follows: “An audio file in a lossless format that carries a soundtrack across the entire frequency range in which it was mastered using higher quality equipment than CD ”.

In simple terms, this term generally refers to recordings with a higher sample rate and / or bit depth than a CD (i.e. 16-bit / 44.1 kHz).

The sample rate indicates how many times per second the signal is sampled during its conversion from analog to digital. The higher the bit depth, the more accurately the signal is measured at the sample point, so the transition from 16-bit to 24-bit can significantly improve quality.

High-resolution audio formats typically have a sample rate of 96 or 192 kHz at 24 bits. Also, there are files with 44.1, 88.2 and 176.4 kHz.

Small loss

However, Hi-Res Audio has one major drawback: the size of the files. They are typically tens of megabytes in size, and a few songs can easily take up all of your device’s memory. Because of this, they are difficult to transfer over mobile networks and Wi-Fi.

And that’s not all: each of the Hi-Res Audio file formats has certain compatibility limitations. Examples include FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) and ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec); both theoretically provide lossless transmission of musical information. In addition, there are uncompressed formats: WAV and AIFF, DSD (the format used in Super Audio CD) and the recently developed MQA (Master Quality Authenticated).

The relative advantages of each format can be discussed, but the first thing to consider is their compatibility with audio components and software solutions.

WHAT IS GOOD FOR HIGH RESOLUTION AUDIO FORMATS?

The main advantage of high definition formats over tablets is the higher sound quality. Downloadable sites like Amazon and iTunes and streaming services like Spotify offer relatively low bitrate compression formats, such as 256kbps AAC from Apple Music and Spotify’s 320kbps Ogg Vorbis.

During the compression encoding process, some information is lost; in other words, the signal resolution is reduced for convenience and file size reduction. This affects the sound quality: in these formats, your favorite songs will not be fully revealed.

Master class

While you can put up with this when listening to Spotify playlists on the bus ride to work, true music fans won’t have enough. High definition audio comes to your aid.

To understand why it should sound better than MP3, let’s compare its bit rates. The highest possible bit rate for an MP3 is 320 kbps, while a 24-bit / 192 kHz file is 9216 kbps for streaming and 1411 kbps for a CD.

Therefore, 24/96 or 24/192 high-resolution audio files should more accurately recreate the sound that musicians and engineers worked on.

What is High Resolution Audio (HRA)?

Most digital audio systems encode analog (the sound we hear) into digital for storage and transmission using a system called Pulse Code Modulation. Two factors determine the quality of a digital recording: the bit depth and the sample rate. Bit depth determines the number of “steps” available to describe the sound: the more bits used, the wider the dynamic range, ie the difference between the loudest and softest sound, that can be recorded.

The higher the sample rate, in other words the number of snapshots of sound per second, the more accurately the music can be analyzed and converted into digital data. The sample rate affects the range of audio frequency, from lowest to highest pitch, that can be stored.

Therefore, the higher the bit depth and sample rate, the more information can be stored.

The CD uses 16-bit / 44.1 kHz encoding, which was the best quality available when the CD was released in the early 1980s. But technology is advancing fast, and we can now record and distribute music at higher bit depths and higher sampling frequencies. These formats have been used in studios and mastering for many years. From now on they are also available for us to enjoy at home.

High Resolution Audio (HRA) is any format above the 16-bit / 44.1 kHz CD standard and HRA recordings are generally 24-bit encoded, allowing for a much wider dynamic range than CD. Also, the recordings have sample rates up to 192 kHz. Which is currently the “state of the art” for HRA commercial recordings. In this way you can experience music at home just like in the sound studio.

Hi-Res Audio

Hi-Res Audio Formats

There are a variety of HRA formats, so it is important that the HRA equipment supports the widest range possible. Technics products are compatible with all popular HRA formats. Various formats, even those that have not yet been widely accepted. This ensures that you can easily play HRA. Now and in the future.

High Resolution Audio

Music on CD is also available in various formats and qualities. Here is an overview of the most common formats for HRA, CD, download, and streaming.

Studio Master sound quality (24-bit) and CD quality (16-bit)
Most of the music files (both HRA and CD quality) available online are in FLAC – the free lossless audio codec (the format is free, not the music!)
24-bit FLAC files are usually available in 96 kHz and 192 kHz versions, although there are some albums in 24-bit / 44.1 kHz or 24-bit / 48 kHz. The 24-bit / 192 kHz versions are the highest quality files commonly available and are identical to the studio master.
Unlike MP3, which omits certain information to reduce file size, FLAC is lossless and works like a computer zip file. It decompresses “on the fly” when you play the music and delivers exactly the same data that was present before the file was compressed.
Apple has its own “lossless”: Apple Lossless (ALAC) works like FLAC, but is compatible with iTunes. Some companies that offer Studio Master downloads offer them in both FLAC and ALAC.
Another advantage of FLAC and ALAC is that they contain information about the music in the form of metadata, such as artist, album title, track title / number, music genre, composer, catalog number, etc.
This information is encoded in every Studio Master or other HRA files you buy online, or it can be added to CDs you rip – ripping software will use an internet database search engine to identify the music you are storing and relate it to all the information. fill in. You can also edit this information or enter it manually.

WAV / AIFF: uncompressed storage

You can also copy CDs as completely uncompressed files, that is, a direct copy of the data on the disc. Windows computers save them as WAV files (Waveform Audio File Format) and Macs as AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format). Technics systems play both file formats.
One downside of saving WAV files is that they don’t save track information by default. That is one of the reasons why using FLAC is so much more convenient. The other reason is that FLAC files are much smaller than WAV files.

We repeat here the information that we have given in other posts:
After various analyzes and tests carried out by universities and different companies, it has been determined that the human ear (more than 90% or 95% of people) cannot distinguish between an mp3 with 320b and a WAV file.

HIGH RESOLUTION AUDIO: HOW TO LISTEN TO MUSIC WITH THE HIGHEST QUALITY

Many of our clients, simple music fans or professionals in the sector, constantly seek perfection. Some are willing to spend even thousands of euros to assemble a high-quality hi-fi system. Many come to us for advice, and we are happy to accommodate them. First, however, it is good to gain some (really few) insights into the world of music and the media through which we generally hear it.

Sony High-Resolution Audio

We will start from the beginning.

Digital music is distributed in many formats. Some are compressed, others are not compressed. However, all files are nothing more than a sequence of bits whose value can be 1 or 0. These bits are grouped into bytes, that is, words of 8 bits each. A series of bytes forms a file or an audio track that we can listen to.

High resolution audio: recording and playback

Once recorded, to be played by us, this digital music file is sent to an analog-to-digital converter (DAC), converted to an analog signal, and finally sent to an output circuit, either a preamplifier or analog output

The quality of the file to be reproduced is given by two factors: resolution and sampling frequency.
Resolution is expressed in bits, while the sampling value is expressed in kilohertz (kHz).

Word length (bit)
= resolution Dynamic range Reproducible tones
12 bit 72 dB 4,096
16 bit (CD) 96 dB 65,536
24-bit (DVD) 144 dB 16,777,216
32 bit 192 dB 4,294,967,296

In simple terms, all this means that the denser the digital information, the closer the “digital” version of the signal gets closer to the original analog signal.

“The highest possible quality is the closest to the original as it was produced.”

For example, if you have digital music on CD in 16 bit / 44.1 kHz, this corresponds to a dynamic range of 96 dB with 65,536 gradations. However, music is rarely written to CD under these conditions, because the recording was originally made in only 16 bits (other recording defects may further reduce the signal).

Today, however, recordings are made at 24-bit / 192 kHz (in part also at 32-bit / 384 kHz), which means that the length of the information is significantly longer (and therefore has a greater dynamic range) and a higher sampling rate thus increasing the bandwidth.

The higher the resolution of the audio file, the higher the sample rate and the better the final audio signal.

Please note that the increase in “information content” resulting from higher resolution / sampling is exponential: consequently, the qualitative difference between a 16-bit audio file and 24-bit recordings could be so subtle that only be perceived by a trained ear and obviously well equipped.

HIGH DEFINITION: COMPRESSED AUDIO FORMATS AND UNCOMPRESSED AUDIO FORMATS

Audio files can be compressed (with or without loss of quality) and uncompressed (without loss of quality).

Some examples:

Uncompressed audio formats

WAV – Waveform Audio File Format (.wav)
AIFF – Audio Interchange File Form (.aiff, .aif or .aifc)

Compressed audio formats (no quality loss)

ALAC: Apple Lossless Audio Codec (.mp4 or .m4a)
FLAC: Lossless Audio Codec (.flac)

Compressed audio formats (with loss of quality)

MP3: MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III (.mp3)
AAC: Advanced Audio Coding (.aac, .mp4, or .m4a)

To make a “visual” example and clarify the concept, let’s take a photograph: on the left, the original version, in good resolution; On the right, the same photo, saved in compressed format, which reduces its quality:

high rsolution audio

music in high definition, example of maximum quality

In summary: CDs (compact discs) offered good quality (not maximum) and a certain “portability”, but their capacity was limited.
Mp3 files certainly helped share music over the network, at the price of a substantial loss in terms of playback quality.

HIGH DEFINITION SOUND: A SMALL GLOSSARY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND

Bit rate

The bit rate is the amount of data per second required for a transfer from A to B. The bit rate is always expressed in kilobits (Kbps) or megabits (Mbps) per second. For example, an mp3 plays an audio track from 96 to 320 kbps; a FLAC file can exceed 5000 kbps.

Bit depth (resolution)

This value describes the number of bits recorded in a single audio sample. Therefore, it is equivalent to termination. An example: the quality of a CD (compact disc) supports up to 16 bits; An audio DVD supports up to 24 bits.

What is high-resolution audio?

High Red Audio

With more accurate analog sound sampling, this technology promises better digital sound than traditional audio CDs.
Marketing requires manufacturers not to miss the opportunity to put beautiful acronyms on their devices to indicate the presence of new “revolutionary” technologies. Therefore, in recent months, some headphones and speakers have blossomed, especially the labels “HD audio” or “high-resolution audio”. What does “high resolution audio” (or high definition) mean? In particular, it is a digital sound of at least 24 bits / 96 kHz, so it offers better quality than the 16 bits / 44.1 kHz of the audio CD. If we synthesize too much, we could say that it is a sampling gap similar to that which can separate Blu-ray from DVD.

How is it possible ? To fully understand it, it is important to go back to the beginnings of digital sound. Originally, the sound is analog data, such as the variation in air pressure or an electrical signal over time. To digitize the sound, samples are regularly taken and encoded in a series of bits. When creating the audio CD, manufacturers agreed on 16-bit encoding and sampling at 44.1 kHz, or 44,100 times per second. Therefore, one minute of mono sound requires about 5.3 MB of data and 10.6 MB of stereo per minute. When the first audio CDs were released in 1984/85, vinyl fans cried as a betrayal, accusing the digital sound of not reproducing the warmth of analog sound from the former 33rpm.

Is there really a difference?

We had the opportunity to test the entire high-resolution audio system multiple times: 192 Hz FLAC audio files, on a NWZ-A compatible high-resolution player and MDR-1A headphones, also Hi-Res. The reproduction is of course very good by ear and it seems that the songs on our test album (Play MemoriesDaft Punk) have been given precision. Even when the volume is pushed to the limit of the maximum threshold, the reproduction is still excellent and well detailed. But we also listened to the same MP3 album, in a (relatively) high 320 kbit / s sample, even with Sony’s portable music player and high-resolution headphones. And it is clear that the difference was frankly not clear. Our perception of representation was just as good. We continue the experience by listening to the MP3 version of the Daft Punk album, this time with less high-quality headphones than the Sony MDR-1A. And there the register was even worse: muted, less accurate in the treble and less powerful in the bass. Result: By ear sampling of the file had less influence on the reproduction because the quality of the products used to reproduce the sound, ie the player and the headphones. So a question about everything from a material order. For the right choice, go to our helmet department and our two specific comparisons:

– Comparison of headphones for less than 100 euros
– Comparison of headphones for more than 100 euros

What is high-definition audio?

Most digital audio systems encode analog sound, ie perceived sound, in digital form for archiving and transmission using a system called pulse code modulation. The quality of the digital recording is determined by two factors: Bit depth and sampling rate: The bit depth determines the number of “passes” available to describe the sound: the more bits used, the greater the dynamic range (the difference between the loudest and the lowest Sound) to be recorded.

At the same time, the higher the sampling rate (ie how often a “snapshot” of the sound is recorded per second), the more precisely music can be analyzed and converted into digital data. The sampling rate refers to the frequency range of the audio from the lowest to the highest pitch that can be stored.

The higher the bit depth and the higher the sampling rate, the more information can be saved.

The CD uses 16-bit / 44.1 kHz encoding, which was best available at the time the CD was introduced in the early 1980s. However, progress has been made since then, and it is now possible to record and distribute music at bit depth and bit rates at higher sample rates. These formats have been used for recordings and recordings for several years, but are now also available to all households.

High Resolution Audio (HRA) is any format that goes beyond the standard 16-bit / 44.1 kHz CD, and HRA recordings generally use 24-bit encoding, which enables a very dynamic range. wider than CD and sampling rates up to 192 kHz, which is the maximum level for commercial HRA recordings. All of this aims to achieve a sound that is as similar as possible to that of the recording studio.

High resolution audio formats

There is a wide range of HRA formats, so it is important that the HRA team supports them as fully as possible. Technics products are compatible with all common HRA formats (some are still in the introductory phase) and will ensure simple, practical and sustainable HRA reproduction in the future as the market develops.

CD quality music is also available in various formats. Below is a list of the most common formats used for CD quality music as well as music with loss of quality and for HRA playback.

FLAC: Studio Master sound quality (24 bit) and CD quality (16 bit)

Most music files available online (HRA and CD quality) are in FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) format (the format is free, no music). 24-bit FLAC files are generally available in 96 kHz and 192 kHz, although some albums are in 24-bit / 44.1 kHz or 24-bit / 48 kHz format. These 24 bit / 192 kHz are usually the best files available and identical to the Studio Master version.
Unlike MP3, which reduces size at the expense of content, the FLAC format is lossless and works like a zip file on your computer. It is unpacked “on the fly” during playback and offers exactly the same data as in the file before compression.
Apple has its own format that means no loss: Apple Lossless (ALAC) works like FLAC, but is compatible with iTunes. Some companies that provide Studio Master downloads offer these in FLAC and ALAC formats.
An additional advantage of the FLAC and ALAC formats is that they store information about music in the form of metadata, including general parameters such as artist, album title, title / track number, music genre, composer, catalog number, etc.
This information is contained in Studio Master or HRA files that can be purchased online or added when creating a personal CD: the burning software uses a search in the Internet database to identify the hard drive to be archived and provides all the information. You can also edit this data or enter it manually.

WAV / AIFF: uncompressed file

You can also copy CDs as files without compression, e.g. B. as a direct copy of data to the hard drive. Windows computers save them as WAV files (Waveform Audio File Format), Macs as AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format), but the two formats are interchangeable and, of course, Technics systems are both reproduced.

High resolution audio: how to listen to music with the highest quality

Many of our clients, simple music fans or professionals in the sector, constantly seek perfection. Some are willing to spend thousands of euros to put together a high-quality hi-fi system. Many come to us for advice, and we are pleased to accommodate them. First, however, it is good to gain some (really few) insights into the world of music and the media through which we generally hear it.

Let’s start from the beginning.

High resolution audio: recording and playback

Once recorded, to be played by us, this digital music file is sent to a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), converted to an analog signal, and finally sent to an output circuit, either a preamplifier or analog output

The quality of the file to be reproduced is given by two factors: resolution and sampling frequency.
Resolution is expressed in bits, while the sampling value is expressed in kilohertz (kHz).

Word length (bit)
= Resolution Dynamic range Playable tones
12 bit 72 dB 4,096
16 bit (CD) 96 dB 65,536
24-bit (DVD) 144 dB 16,777,216
32 bit 192 dB 4,294,967,296

In short, this all means that the denser the digital information, the closer the “digital” version of the signal gets closer to the original analog signal.

“The highest possible quality is the closest to the original, as produced.”

Today, however, recordings are made at 24-bit / 192 kHz (in part also at 32-bit / 384 kHz), which means that the length of the information is significantly longer (and therefore has a greater dynamic range), and the higher sampling frequency thus increasing the bandwidth.

The higher the resolution of the audio file, the higher the sample rate and the better the final audio signal.

Please note that the increase in “information content” resulting from the higher resolution / sampling is exponential: accordingly, the qualitative difference between a 16-bit audio file and 24-bit recordings could be so subtle as to be perceived only by a trained ear and obviously well equipped.

HIGH DEFINITION: COMPRESSED AUDIO FORMATS AND UNCOMPRESSED AUDIO FORMATS
Audio files can be compressed (with or without loss of quality) and uncompressed (without loss of quality).

Some examples:

Uncompressed audio formats

WAV – Waveform Audio File Format (.wav)
AIFF – Audio Interchange File Form (.aiff, .aif or .aifc)

Compressed audio formats (no quality loss)

ALAC: Apple Lossless Audio Codec (.mp4 or .m4a)
FLAC: Free Lossless Audio Codec (.flac)

Compressed audio formats (with loss of quality)

MP3: MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III (.mp3)
AAC: Advanced Audio Coding (.aac, .mp4, or .m4a)

music in high definition, example of maximum quality

In summary: CDs (compact discs) offered good quality (not maximum) and a certain “portability”, but their capacity was limited.
Mp3 files certainly helped share music online, at the price of a substantial loss in terms of playback quality.

HIGH DEFINITION SOUND: A SMALL GLOSSARY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND
Bit rate

Bit rate is the amount of data per second required for a transfer from A to B. Bit rate is always expressed in kilobits (Kbps) or megabits (Mbps) per second. For example, an mp3 plays an audio track from 96 to 320 kbps; a FLAC file can exceed 5000 kbps.