Enjoy 24 bit sound quality affordably.

In an article I read yesterday, the writer was lamenting that it would be prohibitively expensive to enjoy the highest quality audio from Tidal and other Hi-Def sources. It just so happened that today I plugged in my audio interface, a Presonus Studio 24c. It occurred to me that the writer I was reading might not have realized, but at less than $300 total, you can have 24-bit, 192khz sound quality, reproducing the highest level of audio fidelity available.

Many people might not realize that onboard sound cards are usually lacking in quality fidelity of HD sources on playback. Even though it may run and play at 24 bit, sadly those onboard components of motherboards might be more cheaply made than a piece of pro equipment. Enter the Presonus Studio 24c. It is a simple, but highly effective piece of recording equipment made to produce pro results. It is compact and is powered over USB, with two channels of output and input each.

To achieve the highest fidelity, you should not run speakers or headphones over Bluetooth (the maximum bitrate for Bluetooth is 320 kpbs. That is also the highest bit rate of constant bit-rate MP3s.) You should run speakers directly from the audio connection of a quality 24 bit interface. This can be accomplished with a y-adapter for your headphone connection, or by using RCA 1/4" to rca connectors if you have an rca-input equipped receiver. Running speakers over Sonos is actually Wi-Fi, and Sonos is suitable for 24 bit output.

Many people don't pay attention to the output quality when they are streaming a standard Spotify subscription or the like. But the fact is you're listening to degraded quality, below what the recording studio intended, at a lower bandwidth if you don't have a quality 24 bit device to output to. You also need to purchase the songs from an online HD music store, or subscribe to a service like Tidal. I use Tidal and find it has a large collection of maximum quality albums.

In 24 bit sound, the clarity is superior to CD. That's what you should notice. You would also notice if you test recorded a record on a decent Technics record player through the interface, if the record was originally mastered in analog. 24 bit has the depth to recreate the "warmth" of an analog recording, or the clearest output of sound you could ask for.

I use a Creative Labs 2.1 powered Subwoofer and two speaker set for output. It can be had for around $75. Pay attention to the wattage as well, as you might want to spend more for a louder, more room filling sound. But the Creative Labs set I have works well at around 50 watts.

I offer consulting on audio interfaces and their uses for recording as well. Hopefully, this article sheds a little light on having a professional sound on a relatively small budget.