Glossary
What is Hi-Res audio?
Hi-Res
High-resolution digital audio
Hi-Res (also written hi res, high-res, or hi-res audio) typically means digital audio above CD’s 16-bit/44.1 kHz — for example 24-bit/96 kHz. Availability of a Hi-Res stream can correlate with better masters, but Hi-Res is not a guarantee of great sound. HiFi Score folds format tags into Hi-Fi Score priors and keeps a dedicated Hi-Res album list.
Also called hi res, high-res, hi-res audio, high res, what is hi-res audio.
What Hi-Res means (16/44.1 vs 24/96)
CD audio is 16-bit / 44.1 kHz. Hi-Res audio — hi res, high-res, hi-resolution — is the marketing umbrella for files and streams above that, commonly 24-bit / 96 kHz or 24/192. More bits and a higher sample rate can preserve more of a good master. They cannot invent a mix that was never there.
“Hi-res or high-res” is the same label. Streaming apps tag titles so you can filter; HiFi Score treats those tags as a format signal, not a gold star.
Hi-Res vs a better master
A 24/96 file of a loudness-war remaster is still a loudness-war remaster. A well-transferred 16/44.1 album can outclass it on speakers. That is why Edition Passport exists: pick the honest cut first, then enjoy Hi-Res when the master deserves it.
Hi-Res is most useful when the catalog actually delivered a better transfer — more headroom, less clipping, a real analog tape pass — not when the same brickwalled master was upsampled and relabeled.
Hi-Res vs MQA
MQA is a proprietary way some services folded higher-rate masters into a smaller stream. Hi-Res usually means an open lossless file or stream (FLAC, ALAC, and similar) at elevated bit depth and sample rate. They are not interchangeable. See the MQA glossary for how HiFi Score treats those tags.
How HiFi Score uses Hi-Res tags
Format tags feed Hi-Fi Score priors and a dedicated Hi-Res album list. They are evidence alongside era, genre, and community fidelity ratings — not a lab measurement. Browse /best/hi-res, then open Upgrade Paths from a title you already love so the next listen still rewards your system.
Questions listeners ask
- What is Hi-Res?
- Hi-Res (also written hi res, high-res, or hi-res audio) typically means digital audio above CD’s 16-bit/44.1 kHz — for example 24-bit/96 kHz. Availability of a Hi-Res stream can correlate with better masters, but Hi-Res is not a guarantee of great sound. HiFi Score folds format tags into Hi-Fi Score priors and keeps a dedicated Hi-Res album list.
- What is Hi-Res audio?
- Hi-Res audio means digital sound above CD quality (16-bit/44.1 kHz), often 24-bit/96 kHz. Also written hi res or high-res. It can ride with a better master — it does not guarantee one.
- Is hi-res the same as high-res?
- Yes. Hi-Res, hi res, high-res, and hi-res audio are the same idea. This page is the canonical HiFi Score explainer; there is no separate URL for each spelling.
- Does Hi-Res always sound better than CD?
- No. A poor remaster in 24/96 can sound worse than an honest 16/44.1 transfer. Check stream-cut notes, then use Hi-Res as a bonus when the master is already good.
- How is Hi-Res different from MQA?
- Hi-Res usually means open lossless at a high sample rate. MQA is a proprietary encoding some streamers used for compact “authenticated” masters. HiFi Score treats both as format tags, not proof of great sound.