[MrVeriGoodMan]

Hello dear Head-Fi Community

I am new to the whole "high end Audio thing".
Recently i bought the Beyerdynamic DT 1770 pro Headphone and now i found out that to use their full potential i need to listen to 16-24 bit audio.

So my question is if i listen to spotify music with a 24 bit dac, will it convert the music to higher quality or do i need to have 24 bit files and if yes, where do i get them?

Looking forward to your answers.

Greetings MrVeriGoodMan

 

[gimmeheadroom]

upsampling doesn't make crappy sources ok

 

[tomb]

To answer your basic question, no DAC will upconvert music to a quality higher than it was recorded. The music will always be limited to the bit-depth and sampling rate with which it was recorded.

"High Resolution Audio" files are available from many sources these days. Just remember that CDs are limited to 16-bit, 44.1kHz. However, DVDs and Blu-Ray discs are capable of much, much more. That's one way to get higher-resolution music. Another way is to find download stores on the web. Hdtracks.com is one source, Amazon also has hi-res music available for download, too. Tidal broadcasts in hi-res sampling rates, but I don't know about Spotify. Remember as with anything else in the audio world: buyer beware. Just because someone offers a high-resolution music file, it doesn't mean it was mastered that way. They could've just upconverted the music file to a higher bit/sample rate.

 

[MrVeriGoodMan]

To answer your basic question, no DAC will upconvert music to a quality higher than it was recorded. The music will always be limited to the bit-depth and sampling rate with which it was recorded.

"High Resolution Audio" files are available from many sources these days. Just remember that CDs are limited to 16-bit, 44.1kHz. However, DVDs and Blu-Ray discs are capable of much, much more. That's one way to get higher-resolution music. Another way is to find download stores on the web. Hdtracks.com is one source, Amazon also has hi-res music available for download, too. Tidal broadcasts in hi-res sampling rates, but I don't know about Spotify. Remember as with anything else in the audio world: buyer beware. Just because someone offers a high-resolution music file, it doesn't mean it was mastered that way. They could've just upconverted the music file to a higher bit/sample rate.

Thank you for this informative answer

 

[PurpleAngel]

Hello dear Head-Fi Community
I am new to the whole "high end Audio thing".
Recently i bought the Beyerdynamic DT 1770 pro Headphone and now I found out that to use their full potential i need to listen to 16-24 bit audio.
So my question is if i listen to spotify music with a 24 bit dac, will it convert the music to higher quality or do i need to have 24 bit files and if yes, where do i get them?
Looking forward to your answers. Greetings MrVeriGoodMan

CD-Audio is 16-bit/44.1k, no good reason for streaming services to go above 16-bit.
Going to 24-bit would just use up more bandwidth and at best might make the audio slightly louder, but not noticeably improve audio quality.

 

[MrVeriGoodMan]

Oh another question, since i am interested in more headphones are there some you would call an upgrade too the Beyerdynamic DT 1770 PRO?

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Closed? Look at Audeze LCD-XC and ZMF. I'm sure there are more.

 

[MrVeriGoodMan]

Closed? Look at Audeze LCD-XC and ZMF. I'm sure there are more.

Maybe an open back for home use, but i'll have a look at the audeze LCD-XC and ZMF, thank you

 

[CTR640]

But the real question is: do you really need to listen to 16-24bit audio? Of course I do understand you want to use the headphone at it's full potential but you would be limiting yourself in actually enjoying the headphones if you would hunt only to hi-res audio. I have Beyerdynamic headphones too and Meze 99Classics and their sound signatures are really amazing and the wearing comfort is very good too. I use them literally for everything, even using them with my Samsung mp3-player, gaming, movies, youtube, Netflix and much more.

 

[MrVeriGoodMan]

But the real question is: do you really need to listen to 16-24bit audio? Of course I do understand you want to use the headphone at it's full potential but you would be limiting yourself in actually enjoying the headphones if you would hunt only to hi-res audio. I have Beyerdynamic headphones too and Meze 99Classics and their sound signatures are really amazing and the wearing comfort is very good too. I use them literally for everything, even using them with my Samsung mp3-player, gaming, movies, youtube, Netflix and much more.

You're totally right, but i'm already using them for everything, i just wanted to enjoy them even more with high bit music and a good dac

 

[CTR640]

You're totally right, but i'm already using them for everything, i just wanted to enjoy them even more with high bit music and a good dac

I get what you mean ^^
If you're interested in more headphones, be sure to find reviews first before buying. Some headphones are not really good if wearing comfort is very important for example. Believe me, you don't want a headphone that's uncomfortable.

 

[MrVeriGoodMan]

I get what you mean ^^
If you're interested in more headphones, be sure to find reviews first before buying. Some headphones are not really good if wearing comfort is very important for example. Believe me, you don't want a headphone that's uncomfortable.

I take a note ty x)

I am already watching reviews but there are always different audiophile pros and everyone says something else, so if someone says the bass isn't to his liking, it might be to my liking but to find out i would have to try them... and i can't just try them sadly :/

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Maybe an open back for home use, but i'll have a look at the audeze LCD-XC and ZMF, thank you

If you say what kind of music you listen to and what budget, I'm sure people with more knowledge than me can give you appropriate recommendations

 

[CTR640]

I take a note ty x)

I am already watching reviews but there are always different audiophile pros and everyone says something else, so if someone says the bass isn't to his liking, it might be to my liking but to find out i would have to try them... and i can't just try them sadly :/

I perfectly understand what you mean. That's why I always say: if one person doesn't like it, it doesn't mean you won't like it too. Hard to explain this but to know more about audio, you have to develop first what you want exactly and what kind of preferences you want/develop. It takes time and I'm also speaking for myself too but as you said, you have to try them out first and sometimes you can't :/ You like bass? Then you have to know which kind of bass. Heavy bass? Detailed bass? Or balanced and yet not overwhelming bass?

You can also ask the owners how the trebles and bass are. If you're sibilance-sensitive, then you might not want the headphones. Sibilance is usually refered to a very strong "hiss" or "s" and if you are sensitive to that, it may sounds like spikes to the brain.

 

[Monsterzero]

In order to hear a marked improvement from 24 bit vs. 16 bit,one needs to have an extremely resolving and high end setup.
My music collection is a mix of DSD,24/192,24/96,24/48,16/44.1 and 320 MP3s for very hard to find and obscure stuff. My system is game over and quite expensive and I can hear the differences between MP3 and 24 bit files. You will hear a wider and deeper stage,more air between instruments,better dynamics,etc,etc...when I had lesser gear I thought I could hear a wider stage,but that was about the extent of the difference.

Contrary to the above statement,24 bit files have less volume,not more volume than MP3s.

Its important to know that album mastering is also very important to the sound quality one hears. Some albums are recorded and mastered rather poorly,so even if you have a 24 bit version of an album it doesnt necessarily mean its going to sound fantastic.

Regarding high end headphones...

Many of the high end headphones will scale to crazy heights with equal or better upstream gear. When watching or reading reviews its important to take note of the amp,DAC,source and cables being used. It all matters,some more than others.