a. Goals of the project<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 The goal of the proposed research project is to test whether music consumers can reliably identify a Hi-Res Music selection versus a downconverted of the same file at CD or standard resolution using real high-resolution sources, rigorous testing methodologies, and statistical analysis.<\/em><\/strong> This issue is a major point of contention among audio consumers and despite previous studies remains unsettled. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Since Edison\u2019s invention of audio recording in the late 19th<\/sup> century, it has generally been assumed that recording fidelity has steadily increased. Music consumers have been offered and purchased music on a wide variety of physical formats<\/em> including crude, low fidelity cylinders, monophonic lacquer 78 rpm discs, stereo vinyl 33 1\/3 rpm LPs, analog tapes, 8-track cartridges, compact cassettes, compact discs (CDs), and recently pure audio Blu-ray discs. The arrival of digital audio<\/em> file formats ushered in the era of CDs, music \u201cripping\u201d, and MP3 playback. Recently, Digital Music Retailers (DMR) like iTunes and Amazon Music that provided file downloads have given market share to music streaming services including Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the latest initiatives being promoted by NARAS (The Recording Academy\u00ae), the CTA (Consumer Technology Association), the DEG (Digital Entertainment Group), major consumer electronics companies, and the major music labels is called Hi-Res Audio\/Music or High-Resolution Audio\/Music. This new digital format is the latest new format to promise additional fidelity for consumers. But does it? Does merely doubling or quadrupling the sample rate of a digital sound file and adding 8-bits to each sample deliver perceptible<\/em><\/strong> improvements in fidelity?<\/p>\n\n\n\n b. Preliminary Work<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 I have been actively involved in the\nproduction, promotion, and discussion of high-resolution audio since its\nintroduction in 2000. My label, AIX Records, has recorded and released almost\n100 high-resolution, award-winning music albums in a variety of physical and\ndownloadable formats. I am a recognized expert in the area of high-resolution\nrecording. I have served on boards (CEA High End Audio) and technical working\ngroups (AES), given papers and keynote address at prestigious conferences, (CES,\nLas Vegas, AES Latin America, Bogota, Columbia, AES London, InterBEE Tokyo,\nAXPONA Chicago), written over 1000 articles\/blog posts on the topic (www.realHD-Audio.Com),\nand consulted on a previous study for the Consumer Technology Association.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On two separate occasions, I have collaborated with online publications in casual high-res audio studies (AVS Forum and the \u201cHD Audio Challenge\u201d). I have critiqued and reviewed previous studies in the area and found serious flaws in their methodology and results. It\u2019s past time to do a proper study. <\/p>\n\n\n\n c. Specific Activities<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 There will be multiple phases required to complete the proposed study. They are: 1. Identify, select, evaluate, and prepare up to 20 music examples for use in the listening phase of the research, 2. Identify, qualify, and engage with up to 1000 participants across a wide demographic, 3. Distribute and collect the survey materials among participants, 4. Analyze results, and 5. Present statistical breakdown of findings. These activities can be accomplished within the 15 weeks of the leave requested. <\/p>\n\n\n\n d. Specific Benchmarks<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 The proposed research will contribute to\n\u2014 and possibly resolve \u2014 the ongoing\ndebate regarding the value proposition of \u201chi-res audio\u201d. The well-known Audio\nEngineering Society paper by E. Brad Meyer and David Moran of the Boston Audio\nSociety entitled: Audibility of a CD-Standard A\/DA\/A Loop Inserted into\nHigh-Resolution Audio Playback<\/a> conducted in 2007 was shown to be seriously\nflawed by myself and others because it didn\u2019t use real high-resolution sources.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n The proposed study will be submitted to for publication in the AES Journal, other publications (print and online), and otherwise widely disseminated among the professional audio community, audiophiles, and consumers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Specific benchmarks will include: announcements of the study on major online audio sites, development of approved survey methodology and test materials, acceptance of test subjects, and presentation of outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n e. Summary of Project<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 This proposal describes a study into the perceptibility of Hi-Res Audio recordings vs. downconverted versions at CD specifications. A number of music examples will be prepared in both Hi-Res and CD fidelity, distributed, and evaluated by a pool of qualified test subjects. Their feedback will be analyzed and published.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, there is no funding associated with the granting of a sabbatical. There will undoubtedly be costs associated with preparing, executing, and reporting this study. I am considering starting a crowdsourcing campaign to offset some of these costs. However, I don’t think it’s going to be expensive primarily because I am not planning on hosting playback sessions at my studio or other facility \u2014 although I am not opposed to doing so if the consensus is that will provide for a better result. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.realhd-audio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/190426_music_formats.jpg\")
Initial Steps – Announce the Study and Seek Input<\/h4>\n\n\n\n