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Topic: What sample rate and bit depth should I use for playback of lossy audi (Read 5784 times) previous topic - next topic
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What sample rate and bit depth should I use for playback of lossy audi

In the advanced properties of my playback devices in Windows, I can choose the bit depth (16 or 24 bit) and the sample rate (44.1 - 192kHz) to be used in shared mode (I think shared mode means WASAPI shared mode/DirectSound?).
When playing a lossy file (MP3 and AAC in my case) that is encoded at 44.1kHz, would there be any benefit of setting my playback device to something higher than 44.1kHz? Would there be any drawbacks in doing so (maybe higher CPU usage)?
From what I've been reading, lossy files such as MP3s and M4A's don't have a bit depth (correct me if I'm wrong). In that case, is there a difference between setting my playback device to 16 and 24 bit?

Part of why I'm asking this question is that I read that the advantage of using ASIO or WASAPI as opposed to DirectSound is that the audio is not resampled during playback. However, if I'm using DirectSound at 44.1kHz and the audio file being played is also at 44.1kHz (meaning that there is no resampling occurring), would there be any benefits of using ASIO over DirectSound?
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What sample rate and bit depth should I use for playback of lossy audi

Reply #1 –
You gain nothing out of setting a higher sample rate or bit depth (it doesn't magically restore data missing from your source files in the first place). If anything, it's taxing on the hardware and a potential problem source. By default, the windows mixer resamples all audio to the specified sample rate. Most audio is distributed as 44100khz/16 bit or 48000khz/16 bit, therefore it would be logical to use that. ASIO and WASAPI is generally discouraged unless you have a very specific reason to use it.

What sample rate and bit depth should I use for playback of lossy audi

Reply #2 –
I see, thanks for answering!

I'm still a little confused about bit depth (like why doesn't lossy audio have bit depth). Could you tell me if the following conclusions are wrong?
1. Only lossless audio files have bit depth; Lossy files don't.
2. When lossy audio files are being played and decoded, they are streamed in my PC as lossless PCM and therefore have a bit depth (which is equal to the bit depth I specify in my playback device's settings).
3. When you said that most audio is distributed in 16 bit, that refers to the original lossless audio (The WAVs that were exported from a DAW and burned to a CD) and not the M4As from iTunes (which don't have bit depth).
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What sample rate and bit depth should I use for playback of lossy audi

Reply #3 –
Quote from: Jorge24 on
I see, thanks for answering!

I'm still a little confused about bit depth (like why doesn't lossy audio have bit depth). Could you tell me if the following conclusions are wrong?
1. Only lossless audio files have bit depth; Lossy files don't.


As you suggest below, lossy files are encoded from files that have a bit depth, usually 16 bits and are decoded into data streams that have a bit depth, usually 16 bits.

Quote
2. When lossy audio files are being played and decoded, they are streamed in my PC as lossless PCM and therefore have a bit depth (which is equal to the bit depth I specify in my playback device's settings).


The lossy files are typically decoded into 16 bit data streams.  The device settings in Windows are an intermediate bit depth, a sort of lowest or highest common denominator that is used for processing files inside the computer.

Quote
3. When you said that most audio is distributed in 16 bit, that refers to the original lossless audio (The WAVs that were exported from a DAW and burned to a CD) and not the M4As from iTunes (which don't have bit depth).


Due to its complexity and variability, the advanced details of lossy decoder internal processing should probably not be attempted at this point.

Bit depths and data rates greater than 44/16 have been tested extensively. For a variety of psychoacoustic and practical reasons, faster sample rates then 44.1 kHz and  bit depths >16 have been found to be sonically moot. Actually, the practical low limits for the best possible SQ are more like 32 KHz sampling and 13-14 bits.

What sample rate and bit depth should I use for playback of lossy audi

Reply #4 –
Thanks for confirming! Now I can let my worries go away haha
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What sample rate and bit depth should I use for playback of lossy audi

Reply #5 –
Quote from: Jorge24 on
Thanks for confirming! Now I can let my worries go away haha


Naah... worry about room acoustics. Hard for most of us to go wrong there! ;-)

What sample rate and bit depth should I use for playback of lossy audi

Reply #6 –
Quote from: Jorge24 on
When playing a lossy file (MP3 and AAC in my case) that is encoded at 44.1kHz, would there be any benefit of setting my playback device to something higher than 44.1kHz?


Only if you have one of those quirky soundcards that always resample to 48 (and do it badly) - but isn't that so-last-century that one can forget about it by now? And of course, if you output digital, you may have to resample if your DAC does not support the sampling frequency (I have to do that to a few 32kHz files).

As for ASIO/WASAPI, you might want to have a look at http://www.hydrogenaud.io/forums/index.php?showtopic=104051 and http://blogs.msdn.com/b/matthew_van_eerde/...le-signals.aspx


(I use ASIO/WASAPI to keep system sounds out of my speakers. That is good enough reason.)