As streaming quickly takes over the audio world, the sound quality has taken a massive dive.
So-called ‘lossless’ audio still features compression and digitalisation that compromises the sound captured of the original master. The direct-to-tape recordings made in the 1950s far exceed the latest Drake album in terms of sheer sonic quality.
A new audio chip created by Japanese sound company Velvet Sound, a division of Asahi Kasei Microdevices, aims to give what it calls the “as if you were there” experience.
The chip reproduces “up to nearly 10 quadrillion times” as much sound data as a compact disc.
CDs are 44.1 kHz and 16 bits, with a sampling rate of 44,100 times per second.
Hi-res digital audio boasts 96 kHz and 64 bits (sampling rate of 96,000 times per second).
Asahi Kasei Microdevices’ chips achieve 1,536 kHz and 64 bits, according to the company.
As Nikkei Asia explains: “In terms of sound data, that means a theoretical upper limit of roughly 9.8 quadrillion times that of CDs.” This is, of course, still theoretical.
“High-speed digital signals of ones and zeros don’t exist in nature, so those signals themselves are the source of the noise,” said Jun Tokunaga, head of audio product planning and development at Asahi Kasei Microdevices.
At the moment, this is purely for audiophiles, and unlikely to hit the mass market.
With this much data volume, 7 gigabytes is needed for a single five minute song – which means streaming is impossible with the current speed of the internet.
