Connections & formats
24-bit/192 kHz
Also called hi-res audio, high-resolution audio, 192 kHz
24-bit/192 kHz describes audio sampled 192,000 times per second with 24 bits per sample. It is the highest of the common "hi-res" formats, with far more headroom than a CD, though whether that is audible is debated; 24-bit/96 kHz is more common.
Compared with CD quality, 24 bits widen the theoretical dynamic range to about 144 dB, and a 192 kHz sample rate can record frequencies up to 96 kHz. Neither is needed to reproduce what people hear, but both give engineers room to work during recording and mixing.
Most controlled listening tests find a hi-res file hard to tell from the same recording at CD quality; a 2016 meta-analysis found a small effect that grew with listener training. Supporters say the gentler filtering at high sample rates matters; sceptics point out that many "hi-res" releases come from the same masters as the CD. Listeners disagree, and a good master matters more than the numbers.
A DAC has to support the rate to play the file without conversion. Most modern DACs handle 192 kHz and beyond, and many also accept DSD. Qobuz labels these tracks "Hi-Res" and TIDAL "Max".