special report
Sony embraces High-Res Audio Sony Europe has joined the industry effort to promote High- Res Audio
It’s been more than a decade
since the first MP3 digital downloads and music players were introduced to the public. Now is the time to offer High- Resolution Audio products that bring music enthusiasts closer to their favourite recordings, and allow them to experience those recordings the way that the artists, producers and engineers originally intended
That’s the view of John Anderson, vice president of home entertainment & sound for Sony Europe. He is describing the launch of a new initiative by the manufacturer of audio, video, communications and information technology products. According to Sony Europe, High-Res Audio was developed “in the constant quest for better sound and more listening pleasure. Simply, it gives you digital audio formats that deliver better than CD quality sound to your ears. That’s because it converts analog music to digital at a higher rate than CDs. CDs are standardised at 16bit/44.1kHz, while high resolution sound is normally 24-bit/192kHz. The result? You get to hear performances exactly as they were recorded, without any sound compromise.” According to research by the Consumer
Electronics Association, nearly 90% of consumers cite ‘sound quality’ as the most important criteria when listening to music, while more than 60% expect to pay a premium for higher quality audio content. Sony’s initiative comprises a “brand new family of High-Res audio components that take music lovers beyond CD quality, revealing
The HAP-S1 HDD Audio Player System with SS-HA1 Hi-Res Speakers
every detail from today’s high definition sound formats – and from the user’s entire digital music collection”. The new line of products is designed to
make High Res Audio “a more convenient, compelling and cost-effective listening experience for digital music enthusiasts everywhere”. The focus is on making the high- resolution downloading and transfer process easy to use, while reducing confusion over the many high-resolution formats available. All Sony’s new devices have been designed
“to deliver the best digital sound quality possible and reproduce all of the details and nuances found in our customers’ favourite music,” said Alberto Ayala, director of home audio video, Sony Europe. “Each of these solutions will provide music enthusiasts with everything needed to enjoy an outstanding listening experience – right out of the box.” To support this, selected Sony High-Res
players will come pre-installed in Europe with 15 high-res audio tracks from the catalogues of Sony Music Legacy Recordings, Universal Music and Warner Music. The music tracks are Miles Davis’ ‘So What’, Herbie Hancock’s ‘Watermelon Man’, Willie
Nelson’s ‘Georgia On My Mind’, Santana’s ‘Black Magic Woman’, James Taylor’s ‘Your Smiling Face’ , Luther Vandross’ ‘Never Too Much’, ‘Blood, Sweat & Tears’ ‘ by Spinning Wheel’, Dave Brubeck Quartet’s ‘Blue Rondo A la Turk’, Wynton Marsalis’ ‘Lazy Afternoon’, Elephant Revivals’ ‘Don’t Drift Too Far’, Lara Ruggles’ ‘Snowflakes’ and three by Grandkey: ‘Bouquet’, ‘Forget You’ and ‘Love Letter’. “In a world in which there are more ways
than ever of finding and listening to music – be that at home or on the move – there’s never been a better time to develop a high quality audio experience.” said Niamh O’Reilly, senior director of digital, Sony Music Entertainment. “We’re very excited about the possibilities of bringing the warmth, detail and nuance of sound, that previous generations of music lovers have enjoyed, to people of all ages and music tastes.” “Warner Music is a committed pioneer of dynamic experiences that bring artists’ visions to fans in the highest quality ways. As such, we are passionate supporters and enablers of high-resolution music offerings,” said Matt Signore, president, artist & label services of Warner Music Group. “Given Sony’s global footprint and marketing expertise, these pre- loaded devices will be a great way to excite a wider audience about the possibilities and benefits of high resolution sound.” To educate consumers about High-Res
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Audio, Sony has launched a portal at www.
sony.co.uk/hub/high-resolution-audio, which highlights the leading hi-res digital music stores and also incorporates a guide to High-Res Audio. Sony will also provide authorised dealers with a variety of support, including product brochures, white papers, training and displays.
October 2013
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