speakers for 24/96 audio

Supposedly, the biggest advantage to 24/96 or 24/192 for that matter is the 24-bit data word, which allows a much lower noise floor, far more headroom during recording, and finer-grained loudness level tracking. To be honest I've never a difference between CDs and SACDs on my system, and I'm not sure the difference is audible. I have no doubt that for recording the extra headroom is a big advantage, but for playback I'm not convinced.

The higher sampling rates enable the use of less intrusive digital filtering circuits (better time-domain accuracy), which could make playback more accurate in the 20-20KHz bandpass, and maybe I just haven't heard the right equipment yet. Dinosaur that I am, I still haven't heard anything, from any source type or signal, that sounds better than my Levinson No39 CD player.

Thank you!

by the way, hve you ever heard any difference between a 24/96 and 24/192 audio file?

Mizuno (

Got any 24/96 files around to listen to? I’m guessing “no.”

Then go get some.

The High res Highway of files delivered natively at 16/48 (DVD) 24/88 (download), 24/96 via DVDA or Blu ray, or 24/192 via DVDA or BR again, or by downloads, are merely factions of the orig masters and how they are being presented.

The word lengths and sampling rates of the music (signal) do not translate to the frequencies we hear. They are merely methods. Formats. A means to an end.

Nominally, higher word lengths and sampling frequencies relate to better resolution, details, and ambient info and the ability of a system to retrieve it.

Download some for gfree… they are out there. Have a sound card or DAC and a media player capable of playing them in bit perfect or bit true mode, and see for yourself.

Then you question should be what speaker in the $5K range best suits my …… ?

…and not what speaker best suits better musicl information.

Hi Blindjim,

Actually I have listened to multiple HD tracks. The reason why I asked the questions is because I have actually downloaded from linn records or HD tracks multiple files, but i'm just not capable to hear the difference between 24/96 and 24/192, and to be honest, I think I hear some difference between 16/44 and 24/96 (from the same audio track on hdtracks) but less than I would have hoped. This is why I wondered if my speakers might need upgrading (as my spendor 3db point is at 20khz). My system consists of PC with USB or NAS, W4S DAC, LFD NCSE, Spendor s8e.

I agree with your final comment. My question was more a theoretical one as i try to understand what is going on from a processing/ technology point of view.

thx for the help :)