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Sonos to czołowa amerykańska firma zajmująca się technologią dźwięku, najbardziej znana z pionierskich bezprzewodowych systemów dźwięku w konfiguracji wielopokojowej, które ułatwiają słuchaczom strumieniowe przesyłanie muzyki i innych treści w całym domu. Firma nieustannie wprowadza innowacje, tworząc głośniki bezprzewodowe, systemy kina domowego, słuchawki, komponenty architektoniczne i zintegrowane rozwiązania dla domowego systemu audio, które rewolucjonizują sposób, w jaki ludzie słuchają i nawiązują więź z dźwiękiem.

If you’ve heard of surround sound before, you may be thinking of speakers positioned on all sides — front, back, left, and right. Such a setup does offer an immersive listening experience, but fails to account for another important dimension: height. In this guide, we’ll introduce you to height channels, which add verticality to the sound experience and thus offer a home theater experience that resembles a real-life environment.

 works by surrounding the listener with various different points of audio. These points are referred to as 

. The number of speaker channels helps to determine how “immersive” a sound system feels to the listener. Generally speaking, the more speaker channels, the more immersive the system.

Where the speakers are placed matters, too, though this is standardized in the most common surround sound configurations. A typical 

 allows for five ear-level speaker channels and one subwoofer. These are placed in the following configuration:

 front channels (left, center, and right)

Another common configuration is the 7.1 setup, which adds two additional ear-level channels to fill out any potential gaps in the sound experience.

It’s worth noting that adding more channels doesn’t necessarily require adding more speakers to your configuration. Some 

 can deliver multiple channels at once. A Sonos soundbar covers the three front channels (left, right, and center) all by itself.

A truly immersive sound experience depends on more than just ear-level channels, though. You can also add additional channels above ear level. These so-called 

 can bring an entirely new dimension to a surround sound setup.

Put simply, a height channel is a point of audio positioned above the listener. This audio may come directly from an 

), though height channels don’t necessarily require speakers positioned overhead.

 design have led to new possibilities for adding height channels to a surround sound system. Object-based sound technology, such as 

, assigns different sounds to specific locations in a room. Speaker drivers positioned at the ear level can then fire certain sounds upwards, so that they bounce off the ceiling and hit the listener’s ear from above. The result is a truly three-dimensional soundscape, with sounds projected from all sides as well as from various different heights.

To account for this extra dimension of height, many speaker configurations now include a third number. For example, a 7.1.4 configuration includes the following:

White Sub next to a sofa with a white Beam on a console in the background

If you think a 7.1.4 setup requires investing in an abundance of speakers, we have good news. You can achieve this exact configuration with as little as three speakers and a subwoofer.

In order to do this, though, you’ll have to choose a combination of a soundbar and speakers that supports the spatial audio capabilities of Dolby Atmos. Of course, you can also add in-ceiling speakers if you prefer a more architectural setup. Let’s take a closer look at these options.

 is the most obvious way to add height channels to your home theater setup. It may make sense if you favor a custom, discreet solution that blends with your home’s design. Just note that this option may require a 

, and it’s not as flexible if you want to change the positioning of your sound system later down the line.

For most people, using Dolby Atmos-enabled speakers is a much easier path toward truly immersive sound. For example, you can achieve a 7.1.4 

 with the following Sonos configurations:

1x Beam (Gen 2) + 2x Era 100 + 1x Sub or Sub Mini

For a next-level immersive sound that rivals — if not beats — watching in the theater, Arc Ultra renders a 9.1.4 surround sound experience from the soundbar alone. Pair it with two Era 300 speakers and Sub 4 for a listening experience you’ll have to hear to believe.

Several of these configurations are sold in 

, so you don’t need to buy them separately.

, you’ll need to keep an eye out for content that’s specifically mixed in the Dolby Atmos format. Otherwise, your system will still sound good but may lack some distinction between height- and ear-level channels.

Film and TV streaming services continue to expand their Dolby Atmos-supported libraries, and you should find a growing library of options on Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime Video. Some music streaming services, like Apple Music and Amazon Music, also stream a selection of songs in spatial audio.

With the development of spatial audio technologies like Dolby Atmos, we’ve arrived at a new era of surround sound — an era where we’re opening new dimensions in the home audio experience. Height channels are the key development in this era, and you don’t need overhead speakers to add them to your home setup. If you’re interested in bringing a new dimension to your sound experience, get in touch with a Sonos expert by 

Couple sitting on a couch watching tv with a white Beam and an Era 100 pair

What Are Height Channels for Speakers and Home Theater?

When we created Sonos Arc, our goal was to push beyond the limits of what a soundbar could deliver. The Arc name has since become synonymous with an immersive home theater experience that renders every sound — from whip-fast dialogue to pulse-pounding explosions — with dramatic clarity and depth. But innovation never pauses at Sonos, and we’re excited to introduce the next chapter in cinematic sound. Meet Arc Ultra.

Arc Ultra is a complete reinvention of our best selling soundbar, with an all-new acoustic architecture that achieves immersive sound never before possible from a soundbar this sleek. Let’s explore the design and technological advancements that make Arc Ultra the new standard for home theater sound.

 extend even further than those of its predecessor, thanks to a total of 14 precisely-engineered speakers that span the full range of audio frequencies, from crisp highs to booming lows.

But these speakers don’t work all on their own. They’re nested within an entirely new acoustic architecture that makes Arc Ultra unlike any soundbar you’ve heard before. Let’s break it down.

 handle the full spectrum of higher-pitched sounds. Newly designed wave guides direct these high frequencies toward both sides of the room as well as upward to fill even more space in the room with sound. Six midwoofers contribute to a rich tapestry of mid-range and vocal frequencies, ensuring that dialogue cuts through the mix with crystal clarity, even at high volume levels.

Rounding out the array is a newly designed Sound Motion woofer, which marks a revolutionary leap forward for home theater sound. The use of Sound Motion technology in Arc Ultra is the key to unlocking the soundbar’s unique acoustic architecture, which delivers a bigger and more balanced sound experience in a slimmer design. The difference is especially prominent in Arc Ultra’s bass output, which far surpasses the previous generation while reducing the height and depth of the soundbar. This sleeker, smaller footprint is made possible by an innovative flat design featuring four distributed lightweight motors and voice coils with force-canceling dual cones in a single enclosure.

Here’s where you might stop to wonder about the furniture-rattling implications of a soundbar capable of such powerful bass response. But rest assured: the Sound Motion woofer unleashes its low frequencies with virtually no mechanical vibration, which keeps distortion to a minimum while contributing to a truly cinematic home theater experience.

We’ve completely updated the acoustic architecture while staying true to the beloved sleek design of Arc. In fact, Arc Ultra features an even sleeker footprint compared to its predecessor. All of the above speakers are precisely tuned to fit inside an slimmer enclosure that features an extended wraparound grille and a distinctive racetrack design that allows for sound to be fired across the room at all angles.

Every aspect of Arc Ultra is designed not just with looks, but also with sound in mind. Because the new enclosure fits more speakers — and positions these speakers in such a way that they accurately beam sound around the entire room — it renders a more complete 

 than has ever been available in a soundbar.

 and its ability to create an immersive, multidimensional soundstage. But it also owes to the unique design of Arc Ultra, which can render a 9.1.4 Dolby Atmos experience (nine ear-level channels, one subwoofer, and four height channels) without any additional speakers — a huge improvement from Arc’s already-impressive 5.0.2 experience. Add Arc Ultra to a setup that also features a pair of Sonos 

, and you have the ultimate in Dolby Atmos surround sound.

Finally, a note on size. Because space is at a premium in many home theater setups, we’ve also reduced the soundbar’s depth and height. A shallower depth makes for a more elegant and inconspicuous on-wall presence, which is more in line with newer television models. And a shorter height accounts for the ever-shrinking footprint of modern TV bezels, ensuring that a soundbar placed at the bottom of your screen doesn’t obstruct your view of the action.

The software and processing power on Arc Ultra are just as impressive as the hardware components. Additional features designed to improve your listening experience include:

. It’s not just the speakers that matter — it’s the space, too. Arc Ultra’s built-in software can measure how sound reflects off the objects and surfaces in your room, then tunes the soundbar to accommodate the space. In previous iterations, this feature was called Trueplay. Arc Ultra marks the debut of a faster, easier version of home theater Trueplay called 

, which will now be available not only to iOS users, but to Android users as well.

. Our popular Speech Enhancement feature now comes with multiple levels of control. This is a win for everyone who enjoys a more cinematic experience, but especially for those with hearing difficulties who have been forced to rely on subtitles in the past.

Among the key differences between Arc Ultra and Arc, perhaps none is more audible than the addition of Sound Motion technology, which delivers clear, booming bass frequencies with virtually no mechanical vibration.

But it’s not just about the low end. Sound Motion helps Arc Ultra deliver bigger and better sound across the full audio spectrum while shrinking the size and weight of the hardware required. This space-saving technology was key to outfitting Arc Ultra with a more immersive acoustic architecture that does justice to the entire range of audible frequencies. The updated soundbar boasts three different types of transducers — each one dedicated to high, mid, or low frequencies — to create a more balanced, natural sound that isn’t too heavily weighted in one direction.

Transparent view of Arc Ultra displaying Sound Motion technology

Sometimes, less really is more. This was one of the guiding design principles behind Arc Ultra, which consumes an estimated 20% less power than its predecessor when idle. And this principle goes down as far as the packaging, which uses less plastic overall as well as paper elements certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Arc Ultra’s smaller design is a big part of our push toward sustainability — though in ways that may not be obvious on first glance. For example, smaller packaging allows us to fit 264 more units on a single shipping container. Everything down to the soundbar’s physical construction is designed with sustainability in mind, which is why Arc Ultra is built with halogen-free PCB material widely considered to be less toxic than halogenated alternatives.

Experience sound like never before with Arc Ultra

The original Arc set a high bar for soundbars, delivering the type of spatial audio experience you’d expect from the theater. The new Arc Ultra clears that bar and then some, redefining what’s possible in a soundbar with its innovative acoustic architecture.

Put simply, Arc Ultra delivers on the promise implicit in its name and now stands as the top-of-the-line soundbar option for audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts. With a more spacious soundstage, clearer dialogue, and deeper bass (even at high volumes), this is a soundbar that’s easy to get worked up about. If you’re interested in adding Arc Ultra to your home theater setup, get in touch with a Sonos expert by 

Sand erupting from a black Arc Ultra with Dune 2 graphics

Introducing Arc Ultra - Our Most Innovative Soundbar Yet

Copywriter, Global Brand Creative

With the lights dimmed, a bowl of fresh popcorn, and the family cuddled on the couch, there's nothing quite like movie night from the comfort of your own home. But to truly get that 

, the sound needs to be extraordinary. In this blog post, we’ll walk you through the process of creating a Sonos home theater — from choosing the right soundbar to adding pulse-pounding bass to demystifying surround sound — and help you make the best choice for your space.

The idea of setting up a home theater may conjure visions of wires snaked through the walls, stacks of complicated gear, and multiple remotes. While this might have been true in the past, getting immersive audio in your home has never been easier or more valuable. With advancements in technology and software, all you need are a few well-chosen speakers to experience sound that rivals the best movie theaters.

Yet the number of decisions you have to make in order to set up a home theater that works for you can be overwhelming. And let’s not get started on the confusing jargon — what on earth are speaker “channels,” and should you really care about 5.1 or 7.1.2 surround sound? With that in mind, we put together this guide to help you make a few simple decisions so you can experience theater-quality sound at home.

Back when TVs were big and boxy, the screen and built-in speakers were about the same size. But as TVs have gotten thinner and thinner, the speakers have gotten smaller and smaller — leaving us scrambling to turn on closed captions just to follow the story. One of the easiest ways to improve the audio quality of your TV is with a soundbar. The sound will be fuller, the dialogue crisper, and the bass bolder.

tuned by Oscar® and Emmy®-winning sound engineers

 to ensure that you’re hearing your favorite films and shows as they were meant to be heard. Our soundbars work with virtually any TV and automatically pair with your existing remote for easy volume control. You can also adjust the volume and manage your system using the Sonos app, Apple AirPlay2, your favorite music app, or 

. And when you’re not watching TV, stream music from hundreds of services including Apple Music, 

Start with a Sonos soundbar

Our sleekest and most powerful soundbar, Arc Ultra creates a massive soundstage that fills every inch of the room and precisely places sounds all around you. Featuring revolutionary Sound Motion™ technology, this soundbar packs unprecedentedly clear, deep, and balanced sound into an unbelievably compact design. When watching movies in Dolby Atmos, Arc Ultra takes your viewing experience to another dimension, with 9.1.4 surround sound you’ll have to hear to believe. And with its distinctive curved shape, low-profile design, and matte finish, Arc Ultra looks beautiful in your home, either 

 underneath your TV or placed on furniture.

Our compact yet powerful smart soundbar does it all. Beam provides high-definition sound for shows, movies, and games; offers a virtual spatial audio experience (more on that later); and, like Arc Ultra, when you step away from the screen, Beam can play your favorite music, podcasts, and more with rich, room-filling sound. It’s our most versatile soundbar — with the ability to dial the immersion to your exact liking with several subwoofer and rear speaker options. Place Beam on furniture in front of your TV or mount it to the wall using a custom 

Don’t let its size fool you — Ray delivers surprisingly detailed sound for a soundbar this small. Our most affordable soundbar offers crisp dialogue and balanced stereo sound for your shows, movies, and games. Designed for maximum versatility, its all forward-facing acoustics make it ideal for tucking into a TV stand without impacting the sound quality. (In other words, you don’t have to worry about your furniture blocking any soundwaves.) And with an optical input, Ray is a great option for pairing with your PC.


If you’re not sure which soundbar is best for your TV, you can learn more about setup requirements 

All of our soundbars feature settings designed to improve your listening experience. With a quick tap in the Sonos app, you can make dialogue even clearer or improve the sound for lower volume levels when watching late at night.


Tap the half moon icon to balance the sound so you won’t wake the rest of the house (or your neighbors). No more turning up the volume when characters whisper and then frantically turning it down when things explode.

Tap the dialogue box icon on the Now Playing screen to emphasize dialogue so you won’t miss a word — even when the action gets intense. With Arc Ultra, enjoy greater control by choosing your preferred level of Speech Enhancement in Settings.

: Already have a pair of speakers you love? 

 allows you to turn your existing audio equipment into a wireless Sonos system. It’s perfect for those who want to keep their analog gear but also enjoy the ease of streaming movies and music from the cloud.

Dual Sonos Sub 4 with Arc Ultra in white in a wooden panel living room

Not only can a subwoofer (also known as a “bass speaker”) produce more immersive and cinematic sound, but it also improves your soundbar’s overall performance.

Your soundbar produces mid-range and high frequency sounds, like dialogue, with exceptional clarity. But because of its slim and compact design, it’s limited in its ability to produce deep, powerful bass. By adding a dedicated bass speaker to your setup, your soundbar is able to offload the lowest frequency sounds — like a rumbling engine — and focus on delivering crisper mid-range sounds and cleaner highs. Ultimately, a subwoofer helps widen the soundstage to create a greater sense of dimension and depth.

Add a subwoofer

If you’re looking for clean, pulse-pounding bass that can fill a large room, look no further than Sub 4. Our iconic subwoofer pairs best with a powerful soundbar like Arc Ultra or Beam for truly immersive sound. Its versatile design lets you find the perfect fit for Sub in your home: face it forward to put it on full display; turn it to its profile for a more discreet look; or lay it flat and slide it under your couch so it’s completely out of sight. For the ultimate home theater experience, you can add a 

 to Arc Ultra for even more balanced and impactful bass. Dual Subs work in harmony to engulf your space with the deepest rumbles of a fiery explosion and powerful roars of a crashing wave.

If you’re wanting to add bold bass to a smaller space, such as an apartment or simply a bedroom, go with Sub Mini. This compact interpretation of our premium subwoofer features advanced processing that helps reproduce the full-toned bass of a much larger subwoofer but at a smaller scale. Its minimal footprint and unique cylindrical design fits nicely all around your home. Display it in plain sight or slide it under a desk for a more discreet look. For the best bass experience, we recommend pairing Sub Mini with Ray or Beam.

A pair of black Sonos Era 300 speakers on stands in a living room

You have a soundbar, and a subwoofer. How much of a difference can two more speakers make? Plenty. When you add two matching rear Sonos speakers to your home theater setup, you’ll uncover greater details in songs, and you’ll find yourself completely enveloped in what you watch.

Connect two rear Sonos speakers for surround sound

As you dive into the world of home theater, you’ll likely see a lot of numbers, like 5.1 or even 9.1.4. If you’re confused, don’t worry. You don’t need to get too caught up in these numbers (known as “channels”) when it comes to building your home theater, but they’re an important way of understanding the type of surround sound experience you’ll hear. Let us explain.

The term “channels” simply means “points of audio.” However, back when audio enthusiasts first started building their home theater systems (the ones with all the tangled wires and stacks of receivers), these numbers became synonymous with how many 

 speakers needed to be present in the room.

For example, if you were looking to create a traditional 5.1 home theater system, you would need three front speakers (placed underneath and to the left and right of your TV) and two rear speakers (typically placed to the left and right of your couch). The .1 indicated the addition of a subwoofer. But with the emergence of the soundbar, this tried-and-true cheat sheet for building a home theater system began to fall apart. You now had 

This traditional way of thinking about channels is not as applicable to today’s technology. With the advancements of audio hardware and software, you no longer need to scatter your room with speakers to get an incredibly immersive sound experience. Premium soundbars like Arc Ultra have the ability to render 9.1.4 surround sound from the soundbar 

 soundbar doing the work of nine ear-level speakers, one subwoofer, and four overhead speakers.)

A better way of thinking about channels these days is in terms of levels of 

 instead of number of speakers. If you are someone who likes a good cheat sheet, a general rule to follow is that the higher the number, the more immersive the sound experience.

9.1.4 Multidimensional surround sound setup with Arc Ultra, Sub 4, and two Era 300 speakers with soundwaves

Now you may be thinking, if a soundbar can produce incredible surround sound on it’s own, why should you add two more speakers? While adding rear speakers won’t always impact the channel configuration (such is the case for Arc Ultra), surround speakers will help disperse audio more evenly across your space, ensuring sound reaches every corner and angle of the room. This will add even greater depth and detail for truly lifelike sound that feels like the action is unfolding in your living room.

Our most versatile and compact smart speaker delivers rich, impactful surround sound when paired with Arc Ultra, Beam, and Ray. With custom-built woofers and tweeters, Era 100 evenly disperses sound across the room to create a wider soundstage that allows you to hear more details and subtle nuances in your favorite music and movies. Its sleek, minimalist design blends seamlessly into your home and fits nicely on furniture or using custom Sonos stands.

A couple on the couch watching TV with a Sonos Ray surround sound setup

If you want the ultimate Dolby Atmos experience at home, choose Era 300. You’ll feel the bass pound deep in your chest. You’ll hear the dialogue as if the characters are standing right in the room. And you’ll feel completely enveloped in the story. When paired with Arc Ultra and Sub 4, Era 300 offers a true multi-channel surround sound experience without the need for multiple overhead speakers or complex wiring. The upward and side-firing drivers project sound all around the room to create a soundstage that completely immerses you, with sound coming from forward, behind, and above.

A couple on the couch watching a movie with a Sonos Arc Ultra surround sound setup

One of the tricky parts of adding rear speakers to a home theater setup is where to place them. We’ve made it easy with a variety of speaker stands and mounts. Choose what works best for your viewing room 

Learn more about placement tips for Era 300 

Pro Tip: Add Sonos Voice Control to your system in the Sonos app to turn on your TV and adjust your home theater audio settings hands-free.

Now that you understand the basics of home theater sound, it’s time to find the right setup for you. To help take the guesswork out of building your system, we've put together this chart with our recommended speaker pairings based on the size of your space, the size of your TV, and level of immersion you’re hoping to achieve.

(Small room size, TV up to 55”)
Ray + Sub Mini + 2x Era 100


(Small to medium room size, TV up to 65”)
Beam + Sub Mini + 2x Era 100

 (Medium to large room size, TV up to 65”)
Beam + Sub 4 + 2x Era 100

 (Large room size, TV up to 65”)
Beam + Sub 4 + 2x Era 300

(Medium to large room size, TV 50” and over)
Arc Ultra + Sub 4 + 2x Era 100

(Large room size, TV 50” and over)
Arc Ultra + Sub 4 + 2x Era 300

*Some channels rendered using virtualization techniques. Requires compatible TV and Dolby Atmos-supported streaming service. Learn more about compatibility requirements 

Once you’ve chosen the right setup for you, there’s no need to build it yourself. Save when you get it as a 

Once you’ve set up your home theater, it’s easy to make sure it sounds its best in your unique space by fine-tuning it with 

. It’s also easy to add additional speakers in other rooms of the house. That way, you won’t miss any of the action when you head to the kitchen for more popcorn. In fact, the most difficult thing to do will be deciding what you want to watch or listen to next.

A family sitting on the couch watching a movie with a Sonos Arc Ultra surround sound setup

The Ultimate Guide to a Sonos Home Theater

At Sonos, we believe in delivering the best sound experience — seamlessly and reliably. But we fell short when our new app release didn’t meet the standards we promised. Since then, we’ve spent time listening to our customers and employees, learning from our mistakes, and taking action. Today, we’re announcing new commitments to show our renewed focus on software quality, customer experience, and delivering the excellence you deserve from Sonos.

We’re working to ensure we don’t just fix our mistakes but actively build a better Sonos experience for everyone. Many of these initiatives are already underway and others will be implemented through the remainder of the year.

These commitments focus on addressing the root causes of the app release issues and regaining the trust of our customers.

To deliver the highest level of customer experience, we will always establish ambitious quality benchmarks at the start of product development. We will not launch products until they meet these criteria. We will also enhance the tools needed to measure and maintain the standards our customers expect. 

Unwavering Focus on Customer Experience

Our beta testing program will include a broader range of customers and more diverse setups, helping us diagnose and resolve issues faster before going to market.

Increasing the Stringency of Pre-Launch Testing

In contrast to the all-at-once automated app release we issued in May, any major change to the Sonos app will be released gradually, allowing customers to adjust and provide feedback before it becomes the default. We will also provide customers the ability to opt in to test new features.

Approaching Change with Humility

We are creating a new role: Quality Ombudsperson. This person will ensure employees have a clear path to raise concerns regarding quality and customer experience. The ombudsperson will report directly to executive leadership, publish reports twice a year, and present regularly to the Sonos board of directors.

Appointing a Quality Ombudsperson

In addition, we are also committing to the following to begin to regain your trust: 

To reflect our strong belief in the quality of our products, we will extend the manufacturer’s warranty by an additional year for all home theater and plug-in speaker products currently under 

Extending Our Home Speaker Warranties

We will continue to roll out updated mobile software versions every 2-4 weeks to optimize and enhance the app experience, even after the current issues are fully resolved.

Relentless App Improvement

We will form a Customer Advisory Board to ensure we never lose sight of our customers' voices. This board will provide feedback and insights from a customer perspective to help shape and improve our software and products before they are launched.

Establishing a Customer Advisory Board

As a demonstration of the significance of these commitments,

 the Sonos Executive Leadership Team will not accept any annual bonus payout for the October 2024 - September 2025 fiscal year unless the company succeeds in improving the quality of the app experience and rebuilding customer trust.

Sonos sign above plants at front reception desk of Sonos office

We are committed to making Sonos better than ever, and these commitments are just the beginning of that journey. Thank you for being a part of the Sonos community.

Sonos user in a yellow sweater lying on a blue blanket enjoying the sound of a Roam 2 portable speaker

Recommitting to Quality and Customer Experience

High-resolution audio — or hi-res audio, for short — is a term you come across a lot when comparing different speakers or audio formats. As you’ve likely guessed, it indicates a high level of audio quality. But high relative to 

 The answer is not simply in the eye (or ear) of the beholder.

Let’s start with some points of comparison. High-resolution audio sounds better than MP3-quality audio. It even sounds better than standard CD quality audio, which was once considered sufficient to capture every aspect of sound perceivable to the human ear. We now know that many people can perceive differences in quality beyond what a CD is capable of reproducing, which brings us to a working definition of high-resolution audio.

Put simply, if a digital audio track manages to 

surpass the quality of a standard CD track

, it qualifies as hi-res audio. “Quality” may seem like a subjective term, but we can evaluate the quality of an audio track using two objective measurements — bit depth (expressed in “bits”) and sample rate (expressed in kilohertz, or “kHz”).

High-resolution audio is generally defined as audio that captures more of the original track’s subtle nuances and details than is possible with standard CD quality. In practical terms, this means a more immersive listening experience, with greater detail and clarity. In technical terms, it means 

 — higher than a standard CD’s quality of 16 bits and 44.1 kHz.

Those may just sound like numbers to you. But it’s important to understand bit depth and sample rate if you’re interested in enjoying the best-possible listening experience.

Bit depth and sample rate: The key components of audio quality

When we talk about audio quality, we’re really talking about how fully and accurately an audio track captures the live sound of a recording. The better the quality, the more you feel like you’re actually in the room listening to a song performed live.

, sound engineers generally want to capture as much dynamic range and frequency response as possible. 

 is the difference between the quietest and loudest sound a recording can produce. 

 measures how well an audio track can produce frequencies from the lowest bass to the highest treble.

Each of these qualities corresponds to a specific measurement: bit depth and sample rate, respectively.

 describes how many tiny pieces of information (i.e. “bits”) make up a single snapshot of a soundwave. The higher the bit depth, the more dynamic range the sound has — in other words, the more you can hear the loudest and quietest sounds.

 describes how many snapshots (i.e. “samples”) are taken from the original soundwave. The higher the sample rate, the more the track captures the details of the original recording. Higher sample rates also capture and reproduce higher frequencies of sound.

As noted above, hi-res audio files typically feature a 24-bit bit depth and a sample rate of 48 kHz or higher. Both measurements are significantly higher than standard CD quality, which features a 16-bit bit depth and a sample rate of 44.1 kHz.

The below graphic visualizes how a 24-bit recording actually captures a wider dynamic range of sounds. You might compare it to using a bigger net when fishing, in order to catch more fish. We’ll get to that in a moment.

Depiction of how 16-bit captures the full range of loudness, while 24-bit captures more than the full range.

What audio file types support hi-res audio?

If hi-res audio is so great, why haven’t we been listening to it forever? 

The answer comes down to technology. More specifically, it comes down to what different audio file types can support — and how big they must be to fit all that audio data.

One of the major differences between audio file types relates to a process called compression. This process takes the original audio waveform of a recording and shrinks it down to a smaller size that’s easier to transfer and store.

Compression can be split into two general types:

 loses some of the data contained in the original audio recording, which may result in a perceivable loss of audio quality.

 retains all of the audio information from the original recording, while still managing to shrink the file size. This is the type of compression associated with hi-res audio.

What Are Height Channels for Speakers and Home Theater?

Introducing Arc Ultra - Our Most Innovative Soundbar Yet

The Ultimate Guide to a Sonos Home Theater

Recommitting to Quality and Customer Experience

The Beginner’s Guide to High-Resolution (Hi-Res) Audio

What Are Speaker Tweeters (And What Do They Do?)

Introducing Sub 4 - Our Latest Subwoofer

Music for Business: How To Upgrade Any Speaker Into a Sonos System for Sonos Pro

The Beginner’s Guide to Cleaning Headphones

Beginner's Guide to Audio File Types (And Which to Use)

What Is Lossless Audio — And How To Stream It at Home

Update on the Sonos app from Patrick

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What Are Height Channels for Speakers and Home Theater?

.css-4c3m2r{color:#ffffff;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}The Ultimate Guide to a Sonos Home Theater

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The Ultimate Guide to a Sonos Home Theater

Recommitting to Quality and Customer Experience