NEXT-GEN AUDIO

From hi-res audio to Dolby Atmos 3D sound, music is enjoying a resolution revolution. But knowing how to make the most of these new aural experiences isn’t always crystal clear...

Music has evolved. No longer an esoteric obsession for the hi-fi hardcore, hi-res audio has moved to the centre stage. File downloads have been ousted by high-quality music streams, while 3D audio, powered by Dolby Atmos and 360 Reality Audio, is bringing spatial audio to headphones and sound systems alike. It’s almost like orchestrated advances in audio are compelling us to upgrade our sound systems – and inspiring a whole new universe of audio components.

But while hi-fi has never been more exciting, it’s also never been more confounding. If you want to achieve audio nirvana you’ll need to carefully go over the small print. For example, most of us stream music via Bluetooth to our wireless headphones but, for the highest-fi, you should really use Bluetooth aptX, or even better, aptX HD. Both your smartphone and your headphones need to play ball.

Bluetooth aptX uses advanced compression to achieve CD-like 16-bit/44.1kHz audio, and it sounds pretty good. AptX HD can handle 24-bit/48kHz resolution audio, which is even better. Helpfully, aptX HD is fully backwards compatible with regular aptX and classic low-res Bluetooth. Unhelpfully, not every mobile phone maker supports the aptX codec, the obvious hold-out being Apple. If your mobile doesn’t support aptX or aptX HD, it’s worth considering a dedicated DAP (digital audio player), like the £649 Astell & Kern A&norma SR25.

3D spatial audio is similarly gaining traction, driven primarily (but not exclusively) by Dolby Atmos. But listening to Dolby Atmos Music is not as straightforward as you might hope (we’re looking at you Amazon Music HD!).

So yes, it’s all kicking off on the audio front – but while hi-res audio may be crystal clear, making sense of it certainly isn’t.