topic Re: 48K Vs. 44.1 Khz 16 Vs. 24 Bit depth in Desktop (Windows)

48K Vs. 44.1 Khz 16 Vs. 24 Bit depth

josephcreed7 — Fri, 25 Jul 2014 18:41:10 GMT

In digital audio using pulse-code modulation (PCM), bit depth is the number of bits of information in each sample and it directly corresponds to the resolution of each sample. Examples of bit depth include compact disc digital audio, which uses 16 bits per sample, and DVD-Audio and Blue-Ray disc which can support up to 24 bits per sample.

SPOTIFY ALLOWS my sound processor to produce 48,000Khz @ 24 Bit Depth. The sound quality seems to be far superior compared to CD's. This is 60% of the reason I pay for Spotify.

CD's are mastered @ 44,100khz and 16 bit depth.

The sampling frequency or sampling rate, f_s, is defined as the number of samples obtained in one second (samples per second)

Some tracks seem to be rendered in a lower format, and im experiencing distortion. Very few are these tracks.

I want to know if anyone else has had the chance to experiment with Bit Depth/Khz or if anyone has experienced this "distortion" 🙂

Re: 48K Vs. 44.1 Khz 16 Vs. 24 Bit depth

blake — Fri, 25 Jul 2014 18:48:26 GMT

Hi,

Can you clarify your question a bit?

Bit depth (16 bit vs. 24 bit) isn't relevant for discussing Spotify's streaming service, as Ogg (the compressed format Spotify uses) is not PCM audio. Similarly, lossless formats (.wav, FLAC, ALAC) are not supported for local files in the Spotify desktop client, only .mp3, .mp4, .m4a, and .m4p, as stated here. 'Extreme' quality in Spotify Premium is ~320 kbps, which almost all people consider transparent.

If you're hearing low fidelity/distorted sounds in particular songs in the Spotify library, please contact the Spotify content team directly from here: https://www.spotify.com/us/about-us/contact/contact-spotify-support/

Select 'Give Spotify Feedback About Something' and then 'Report Broken Song'.

Re: 48K Vs. 44.1 Khz 16 Vs. 24 Bit depth

josephcreed7 — Fri, 25 Jul 2014 19:00:41 GMT

Thanks for the information.

Im speaking in depth about the exported format OF the .ogg files @ 320 Kbps. This format was originally intended to be used at lower sample rates, so when rendered at higher rates we see superior sound quality over .mp3 format.

My question is about advanced sound processing. Using studio monitors, i can actively tell you the difference between 16Bit Depth, and 24Bit Depth. When I select the audio outputs to go beyond 48,000Khz spotify shuts down, and simply does not stream. Khz affects the "Brightness" Of a sound.

Has anyone had a chance to experiment with these output format limits? Meaning Khz, Bit Rate & Bit Depth? If so can you actively hear a difference between the audio output formats?

Re: 48K Vs. 44.1 Khz 16 Vs. 24 Bit depth

jeffreyhyun — Fri, 13 Nov 2015 06:47:30 GMT

Out of curiosity, did you ever figure this out?

Re: 48K Vs. 44.1 Khz 16 Vs. 24 Bit depth

josephcreed7 — Sun, 16 Apr 2017 00:26:54 GMT

Spotify gives me no issues whatsoever at 48,000khz. It must have been a conflict between Spotify and my sound drivers, or with Spotify itself.

Re: 48K Vs. 44.1 Khz 16 Vs. 24 Bit depth

yacoboy — Mon, 08 May 2017 19:47:30 GMT

I have been fiddling around in windows and set my default sound output format from 16 bit to 24 bit whilst listening to spotify. I didn't expect much of a change but at 24 bit it seems a much clearer sound. I haven't noticed any distorting on any tracks. I have also tried higher Hz with spotify (all the way to 24bit/192k without issues), but this doesn't have a dramatic effect like the bit depth did. Thoughts?

Re: 48K Vs. 44.1 Khz 16 Vs. 24 Bit depth

josephcreed7 — Wed, 10 May 2017 18:13:44 GMT

Great questions. Sometimes its easy to confuse yourself with these two. I'll try to break it down the best I can.

Bit Rate - How much data per second is required to transmit the file, which can then be translated into how big the file is.

Bit Depth - 24 Bit - If you record in 24 bit opposed to 16 bit, you're giving your audio more room to breathe in the numeric realm of digital audio.

If you have enough room for it on your hard drives, you can increase the breathing room AND the resolution of your recording (song) simultaneously. You will also need the processing power to match, or you might end up with unwanted latency (delay). Increasing the Sample rate and the Bit-Depth will increase the quality of the audio, but it doesn't mean it will sound better. Sound is very subjective, some people still love records and tape decks!

Re: 48K Vs. 44.1 Khz 16 Vs. 24 Bit depth

josephcreed7 — Thu, 11 May 2017 21:02:12 GMT

@Blake You are correct, this partially answers my original question. I am happy that we can clarify Bit Depth and Bit Rate are related to recording applications not Spotify Streaming. Spotify uses .ogg files and the Bit-Rate/Bit-Depth would be determined by the artist and producers themselves. I was having hardware issues at the time of this post. Thanks for your help!

Re: 48K Vs. 44.1 Khz 16 Vs. 24 Bit depth

MelodyMakerUK — Wed, 13 Dec 2017 21:31:00 GMT

Don't forget records are virtually infinite sample rate and bit depth, just with a higher noise floor 😉 As long as they were recorded analogue or at high sample rates.

Re: 48K Vs. 44.1 Khz 16 Vs. 24 Bit depth

josephcreed7 — Wed, 13 Dec 2017 22:12:14 GMT

Interesting:)

Re: 48K Vs. 44.1 Khz 16 Vs. 24 Bit depth

tompabes — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 08:04:44 GMT

Actually, that is not true. 🙂 The mechanical proprieties of a record put a limit to both parameters. This would be true if the stylus could move at infinite speed, but the inertia caused by its weight limits it’s “vibrations per second” which can be compared to the nitrate. Also the speed of the record defines the maximum bandwidth. For example, it is known that dynamic range (essentially the bit depth) is better for the first track of a record because the linear speed is higher. There are cases of Ravel’s bolero records which have been recorded so that the stylus goes from the center of the records towards the edges, because that particular music starts very soft and gradually increases dynamics until the end, so they thought about using the outer part of the record to get a greater dynamic range. So no, records do not have infinite bit rate and depth. 🙂