Hi-Res Audio on the Cheap!

This is a video that I meant to be a short little side thing but that just seemed to balloon over time with discussions, tangents, and rants on various music-related topics. I considered not even publishing it, but what the heck - think of it more like a vlog. The original question: is it possible to get true high resolution audio playback on a home stereo system without spending big bucks on "audiophile" components? I had accumulated a bunch of hi-res music over the years with no real ability to play it properly, so I decided to find out.

This video both promises and requires a bunch of links if you want to dive deeper into things, so here are some:

First, if you'd like to purchase the NW-A55 or NW-A105 Walkman, or the STR-DH190 receiver, I'd love it if you'd use my affiliate links to help support my channel:

By the way, I didn't mention it in the video but the NW-A55 can be used as an external DAC. So if I did want to use it as a DAC for my iPhone, as far as I know, I could... though I don't know why I'd want to.

I wrote this video assuming that most viewers would at least know what Hi-Res music is, but if you need a basic primer:

On MQA:

On Bluetooth:

00:00 Intro
01:09 The Goal
03:38 Why Hi-Res?
08:33 Not all Hi-Res is created equal
12:56 The Sony NW-A55
14:43 Why not just use a cell phone?
16:04 The NW-A55, streaming NW-A105 and MQA
17:56 The Sony STR-DH190 receiver
22:32 Using the NW-A55 with the STR-DH190
24:35 Bluetooth - good but goofy
28:03 Other functions and outro

[ModernClassic]

Quick thing - I had a feeling there'd be some confusion about this, but the point about brickwalling vs. dynamics isn't that CD isn't capable of dynamic sound. That's why there's a title card at 5:05 attempting to explain that these are choices that sound engineers are making. CD's are often mastered for people to listen to in their cars and through earbuds, whereas hi-res is often/usually mastered for critical listening in the home. Different audience. It's not anything inherent to any particular format, but you will *more commonly* find better masters in hi-res files. That doesn't mean it always happens, because as I say later, not everybody is good at their jobs. (In fact, the really bad example of brickwalling that I show later is a hi-res file.) I probably should have talked about hi-res's increased dynamic range either later or not at all - the reason I brought it up at that point was just to explain that dynamic range doesn't matter regardless of format if the engineer's just going to brickwall everything.

[wsurfer]

The problem with audiophile equipment is that, for 99% of the people, by the time you can even come close to afford the true HiFi stuffs, your ears are too old to tell the difference.

[johnathanfelton]

Have one. Paid $150. Sounds great with no problems. LOVE IT! It's a versitile budget system, decent enough quality for its price, and won't disappoint people who like Sony products. Proof that great sounding home audio can actually be had without spending a fortune for it.

[gewamser]

I finally had to take my 40 year old beloved MAC receiver in for service, and it was gonna be in the shop for awhile, so I looked on Amazon for an inexpensive basic receiver, to use as a fill-in, till I got my MAC 4100 back. I saw the Sony 190 excellent reviews on YouTube and was sold…when I got the Sony home and hooked it up…It kind of blew my mind! I was taken aback! Did it sound as good as my MAC? No. But it sounded close enough that I am no longer in a hurry to get the MAC back. Then I began to rethink how far modern sound tech has come in 40 years. Your video here, helped fill in that knowledge gap. Certain Amazon music files in Hi res over my Bluetooth sound incredibly good, almost great. This has caused a sea change in my thinking, and like you, I thought since the Sony is SO close, for so cheap..why not charge a little more and make it better? Great video.

[jp]

You’re speaking my language: cheap gear. Pride myself on the stuff I find at goodwill and garage sales. Subbed!

[tarstarkusz]

6:55 This is not a problem of "low" resolution music. This is a mastering DECISION. The CD could have just as easily sounded EXACTLY like the highres version. They just chose to clip the music and bump the volume too high.

[Bushidounohana]

Appreciate your time, trouble, and perspective—this is a great watch with lots of insights as well as a nice recommendation on equipment. Thank you!

[noturnleftunstoned]

You have a new fan and subscriber here. You know what you are talking about while being concise, accurate and fair. Cheers!

[jeffjefferson]

16bit FLACs at 44.1KHz are absolutely good enough for me. I have heard 96-24 files that do sound a little better, but many of them I frankly couldn't tell the difference. I'd be more concerned about the quality of your headphones / speakers, and having a decent enough DAC (mine was the Earstudio ES100 Mk2, which I'm very happy with). Great video!

[hernansalazarnorese]

totally agree with you, I understand you. I am 58 years old and I live this day after day. Greetings from Chile!!

[DJGeorgeDisco]

A really good review for this receiver. I was looking for a detailed technical review and couldn't find one until I checked your video. I have placed an order for this receiver.

[JapanPop]

I love my NWA-45 player. Been running Hi Res Walkman players since 2014. I noticed the difference right away. Paired with Grado Labs headphones or the Hear.In2, these devices are great! When commuting via rail, switching to noise cancelling earbuds is king. I rarely use ambient speakers these days…

[MrBNCLE]

This is the first time I've watched one of your vids, and just seeing Scandal, I can already tell I'm going to have a great time.

[InsideOutElectronics]

Nice video ! Thank you
I still have LGV20 and LG G7 Thinq and they both work very well for High Res music
Using my ATH-PRO5X

[musicbycandlelightmbc]

Oh oh, he said the famous words, "circling back" as in Jen Psaki, 'we'll have to circle back on that"...lol. You have a very soothing and calming voice for narration I must say. Relating to your flight sim videos, we could be incorrectly heading straight for a mountain side and I would be perfectly fine with that while being totally calm and relaxed by your instructions or stories while sipping tea and hearing frantic screams from the rear passengers.

[briancooper]

Excellent video with great insights. I too have bought that Sony receiver and have been really amazed at how good it sounds and yet it’s simplicity. I love it for the price.

[maximo]

Well done . While I don’t agree with all your conclusions, your presentation is provocative, well reasoned, illustrated and earnest. The result is a worthwhile journey. Thanks

[aaronmartinez]

Love this receiver so far.
I was using an old Technics receiver that was manufactured in the 80’s and it started to lose its volume.
My LP’s would sound quiet even at max volume but sounded amazing with CD’s.
I just wished this receiver had that thumping bass and loudness option like my old receiver but it’s definitely an upgrade in terms of volume and clarity

[jarms]

As usual, this is just plain excellent. Great technical description of both hi-rez and Bluetooth. (BTW, I’ve had pretty good results with apt-X HD to my wireless earbuds.) If you have a receiver or integrated amp with a hi-rez (24/96 or better) DAC built in, another cost-effective solution for both streaming and hi-rez file play is a Raspberry Pi with a HiFiBerry digi+ HAT. You can attach a disk drive with your files on it and stream from a streaming service all for $200 or so.

[loungebiddle]

You are like the stranger you met in a pub only to find out the evening was full of the best conversation and observations. Listened to your take on Turntables and not even sure how I ended up on the topic of Hi-Res. Oh yes, I know why, it is that snake oil you mentioned once or twice. Funny thing is that I haven't touched my music system for years and popped into my local AD only to hear that same BS. He was levering $20k out of my bank account with-in 10 minutes as though there is only one way to go about getting a fantastic sound. So refreshing. Will be rushing down to the pub (so to speak) to listen to your other views and thank you for rescuing me from the rediculous assumption that it takes money to produce a good sound. BS - you just gotta know what you like and be prepared to find affordable solutions that don't have to be a compromise. Cheers to you.