Hi-Res (Studio Quality) Downloads

Hi-Res (or Studio Quality) downloads are the pinnacle of modern digital audio. While standard-definition (SD) FLAC files match the quality of a standard CD encoded in 16 bits at 44.1kHz, Hi-Res FLACs retain the higher definition of the files used by the sound engineers in the mastering process itself - hence the name.

The most common Hi-Res format is 24/96 - that is, a bit depth of 24 bits and a sampling rate of 96 kHz - though other Hi-Res bit depths and sampling rates exist, such as 24/192. Among other benefits, this enables them to encode a considerably greater range of both dynamics and frequencies.

Hi-Res audio files 'more closely replicate the sound quality that the musicians and engineers were working with in the studio' (What Hi-Fi? Magazine) and are playable on most devices that support the FLAC format.