HIGH RESOLUTION AUDIO and Hearts of Space

 

the Hearts of Space studio

 

We don’t get that many inquiries about high resolution audio, but recently one of our subscribers asked us about the audio quality of current HoS streams and why we don't offer a "high-res" service. I'd been meaning to write it up anyway for HoS News, so here goes. It's unavoidably technical, but if you care about digital sound quality, most of the terms and concepts should be familiar.

 

The national HoS program dates from 1983, which was the waning days of the analog audio era. So roughly the first 100 programs from 1983 to 1986 were produced on quarter inch analog tape. Master tapes in those days ran at 15 or 30 ips (inches per second), but we were forced to work at 7.5 ips because we were making 59:00 programs, not three or four minute songs, and a show had to fit on a standard 10.5" reel. The lower speed limited the ultra high frequency quality of our program masters slightly, but was perfectly acceptable for radio programs. Ironically, the low-end bass performance at 7.5 ips was actually better than 30 ips masters.

 

Most of our source material came from LPs, occasionally from master tape copies direct from the artists. In those cases, if you could ignore surface noise from the LPs (I couldn't) the quality of the original sources was pretty good. When cassettes became popular, things got worse for a few years. Many of our new age titles had to be dubbed from high speed duplicated cassettes with limited bandwidth and dynamic range and significantly more noise. Nevertheless, with careful engineering, everything sounded "listenable."

 

We got into digital as soon as it was practical, first using the Sony PCM-F1 digital recorder, and later the Sound Designer 2 computer program and its successor Pro Tools, which allowed us to do precision digital editing. Even these early digital recording systems offered substantially better audio quality — orders of magnitude less noise, distortion, and speed instability, and absolutely "flat" frequency response — and replaced our original analog tape production system. The commercial CD was introduced in 1982 and took almost ten years to completely replace LPs.  So during the 1980s our production system was increasingly rationalized around the CD format. That means stereo, 16 bit (word length), 44.1 kHz (sampling rate), linear PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) format — i.e. the so-called “Red Book” CD standard. 

 

Then and now we transfer music from CDs or digital files into Pro Tools at 16 bit/44.1 kHz, edit or remaster as necessary at 24 bit internal resolution, mix in the voiceovers and then output our program masters at the same resolution: 16 bit/44.1 kHz in BWAV (Broadcast WAV) format.  So our production system is 100% “lossless” as far as the music is concerned. Even in the few cases where an artist or record label supplies us with a higher resolution PCM original like 24 bit/96 kHz, we have to down-convert it to CD format to work with it in our production system.

 

If you are an audiophile and you are looking for true high-res digital audio, HoS is not currently able to provide it, for several reasons: 

 

•  Artists may produce their recordings using higher res formats, 

    but the vast majority still release in 16 bit/44.1 kHz.

 

•  True high-res formats are bulky: they can be up to 10x larger 

    than CD standard digital audio and require special hardware

    and software to play.

 

•  High-res originals are still difficult to stream due to bandwidth 

    limitations on typical broadband networks.

 

•  If uncompressed CDs are streamed, the bit rate is 1411.2 kbps

    or approximately 10 megabytes/minute. High-res digital would

    typically be 2-4 times greater, i.e. similar to HD video bit rates.

 

•  Bit rates like this are possible for desktop machines with direct 

    broadband connections, but these days people also want to listen 

    on WiFi on their phones and tablets, "smart speakers," and in their

    cars over the cellular network, where these heavy bit rates cannot

    always be supported reliably.

 

•  Aside from the occasional audiophile, there has been no demand 

    from the rank and file HOS audience for high-res streams; 

    especially at higher prices; especially now!

 

 

So the original sources we use today are standard uncompressed CDs, WAV or AIFF files at CD resolution, OR "lossless" (data-compressed) FLAC or ALAC files that expand to uncompressed 16 bit/44.1 kHz WAV. Occasionally, we may have to use a compressed stream file as the source, normally AAC (Advanced Audio Codec) format at 16 bit/44.1 kHz. We do not use MP3 originals; AAC offers audibly better quality at every bit rate.

 

To stream them to you, our distribution chain starts with our Hearts of Space program master files in BWAV (Broadcast WAV) format — uncompressed linear PCM at 16 bit/44.1 kHz, exactly the same as CDs.  For streaming, the programs are encoded in AAC format (technically a "lossy" codec) at 256kbps, 128kbps, 64kbps, and 40kbps, and then "packaged" into the HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) "adaptive bitrate" transport protocol for delivery to the public.

 

Which of the four available resolutions in the HLS package a typical listener will hear depends on the device they are using, the speed of their internet connection, and network conditions. In most cases, users will hear the 256kbps streams, which are very close to CD quality. The HLS protocol will seamlessly drop down to a lower resolution file "on-the-fly" if the client device is not able to keep up with the bandwidth demands of the higher res file. This is one of the reasons that HLS has become the industry standard for streaming audio.

 

There are a number of streaming music services that offer true high-res digital audio files in several different formats, including TIDAL, QOBUZ, DEEZER HIFI, PRIMEPHONIC, and AMAZON MUSIC UNLIMITED. The music offered varies, from millions of tracks across all genres to specialty collections. 

 

Clearly, Hearts of Space is specialty collection focused on a specific kind of musical experience, which we describe as "ambient, space, and contemplative music from around the world and across the centuries." Because of this broad focus, it would take a great deal of time and manual work to assemble a personal collection of "HoS-type" music on one of these high-res services, and it would still not be as comprehensive or meticulously curated.

 

I'm confident that at some point in the next few years Hearts of Space will be able to offer high-res service for at least part of its repertoire. In the meantime, we recommend that audiophiles maintain two streaming subscriptions — one to a high-res service for absolute audio quality, one to Hearts of Space for a unique musical experience.

 

Safe journey :: Stephen Hill

Comments

[Petra Lynn Hofmann]

Have been a listener since early '80's when HOS was carried on local PBS stations early Sunday AM.I've never given HOS sound quality a second thought for simple reason the device I was listening to limited the quality. However, the selection of artists and their discography is the best. Thank You.

[Tom MacLean]

Great write up. I’m not sure if I was the listener who requested high-res but I did speak to you about this a year ago or so. 256 is nice but can’t compete with a high-res Tidal stream (which is my high-res subscription choice). I’m actually surprised that more listeners haven’t requested a high-res stream. I would think that HOS fans are a more “cultured” breed than most music listeners and have a specific taste outside the norm; I would expect them to be some amount of audiophile. Perhaps they just never asked you if it was possible? Clearly you are an appreciator of a quality source, based on your very detailed and well written explanation. ;) I always have and always will loved your service. Thank you. I still dream of the day I can listen to the program on my hi-Fi system. Cheers!

[Stephen Hill]

Thanks for the noodge, Tom. It's really not a question of whether we'll do this, but when. Frankly, we've only received a small number of requests for it, but we still want to offer a true hi-res service. We've talked about an uncompressed 16 bit/44.1 kHz "lossless" FLAC or ALAC stream.

It's just that other things constantly take priority and our development resources are very limited.

[Kevin Manson]

How can I subscribe to HOS?

Kevin Manson
[email protected]
2.17.2022

[Peter K]

The shows have superb sound quality without being hi res. I have hi res recordings locally on a server
And I can’t tell the difference with ohm Walsh 3000 speakers, and a Krell showcase pre amp and Carver Av 505 amp. Maybe I need to spend $100k to hear that slight difference? I’m pretty picky about production quality of recordings. I’m happy with Stephen’s productions just as they are!

[Paul Steffen]

Opus is in my view the best sounding, highest fidelity audio format than any other codec at the same bitrate by a long shot. It is also amazingly versatile in supporting many channels and best yet, it's completely open patent-free tech.

On the other end of the scale, Facebook has just created a audio compression tool using neural networks called Encodec that can compress 4 minutes of music to 130kb, that means 30 minutes can fit on a floppy disc, and it really sounds quite good.

[Ray Robles]

While audiophiles may certainly have a distinct taste and ear for qualitative sound reproduction, that same ear can also focus on the originality and creative production. While still a connoisseur of great music, this listener has long surrendered the need for exact duplication and instead the enjoyment of the final production, not that ears have lost it's finesse and appreciation for wonderful music but rather leaning into the emotional ambience created by the final cut has become more of priority.

[Dana Ward]

Stephen i would pay an extra 30 bucks a month on top of the year subscription just to hear your voice (and the music of course) in lossless 16 bit/44.1 kHz FLAC or ALAC streams. You don't need to remaster then all from the CD/LP sources, just use your 7.5 ips Reel to Reel masters. Heck even 7.5 ips open reel is an amazing format. I love hearing even the few clicks and pops from your LP's. I think you used a Sota Star Sapphire with that vacuum turntable back then, and you certainly cleaned and treated your LP's exceedingly well. After all these decades listening to your show, you really do select the best tracks for the shows. You "get" the spirit of the show, heck you created it! I would also love to have a vintage option for episodes 1 to 118, in their original voice overs, they hold a special place in my heart growing up with you and Anna. Thanks Stephen for the journeys.

[Stephen Hill]

Could not agree more, Ray. Production has become an art in itself.

:: SH

[Stephen Hill]

Dana Ward: Thanks for your comments on lossless streams and our production process.

I wish there were more listeners like you, willing to pay a premium for high res audio. Sadly, the requests for this level of service are very few, and the cost of implementing it, though less than say, 10 years ago, is still significant enough that we have to concentrate on attracting new subscribers at affordable prices, rather than super-serving audiophiles at premium prices.

FYI, we no longer use 7.5 ips analog tape in production. Nor do we use LPs as source audio. We still have the Sota Star Sapphire vacuum turntable, but it's not in active use. I have to say I do not miss the clicks and pops.

Everything has moved to digital: we acquire new music on CD or as FLAC or ALAC lossless digital downloads, store them on large hard drive arrays, and produce in CD format 16 bit/44.1 kHz digital on a Pro Tools digital audio workstation.

A finished program is a 624 MB WAV file, which we upload to Amazon Web Services for conversion to a range of streaming audio formats. Our top level 256 kbps AAC streams are almost indistinguishable from the uncompressed WAV source files.

As for "vintage" episodes from the early days, there are a few on the existing HOS web service. At some point we'll put up a few of the early KPFA-FM late night shows with Timitheo and Annamystik to document our provenance for listeners who may not have been born when they aired in the 1970s, and provide some nostalgic memories for original listeners like you;-}

Thanks for years of faithful listening!

:: SH

[Laur-Ann Charlot]

I started listening to HOS on KXPR in Sacramento back around 1998, recording the shows onto cassette tape off the radio, if the FM reception was not too scratchy that evening. Eventually, I digitized them and today have 23 of these old shows, mostly from programs numbering in the 400's. Sadly, KXPR no longer broadcasts HOS, so I am extremely grateful that this website exists with it's archive of shows all the way back to the early 1980's. I suspect that a lot of the source material that went into HOS shows made prior to 1994, would be difficult to find now; vinyl and CD's that are out-of-print, and now only exist in the world in the collections of people that bought them when they were first released.
For someone like me, who grew up in San Francisco in the 1960's listening to music on KFRC-AM ("The Big 610"), the audio quality of any music on a CD is miraculous compared to AM radio! Recordings made in the 1950's through 1975, that I first owned on 12" LP (I still own 85 or so LP's), are now almost unlistenable due to dust and wear of the grooves in the vinyl. Many of my favorites were re-mastered onto CD's, where professional noise reduction was performed, and they sound wonderful, especially when you consider that the original recording was on analog magnetic tape.
I'm not sure what these audiophiles expect to get from sampling rates greater than 44.1 kHz. If a recording made today in a studio on direct-to-digital equipment was first done at 24 bit/96 kHz, and another session was recorded at 16 bit, 44.1 kHz, I suppose you could see obvious differences in the waveforms on a computer, but could a human ear actually detect any difference listening to the music, either on professional quality headphones or speakers? Anyway, thanks for keeping this service alive!

[Stephen Hill]

Laur-Ann,

Thanks for your well-taken comment and years of listening. We are happy to be able to provide a comprehensive archive of all our programs going back to the very beginning 1983. You are correct: in some cases we are the only place where you can stream rare artists and recordings that have been out of print for decades.

At the same time, in the last 50+ years music went through a technical upgrade from low resolution/high noise analog formats to high resolution/low noise digital formats—which greatly improved sound quality, portability, and access for average listeners.

Audiophiles have always been a special case. Even today, many of them maintain that analog formats like LPs are superior to digital. They will swear that they can hear a big difference between analog LPs and CDs, and between CDs and higher resolution digital formats. They are willing to pay a substantial premium for the analog experience and for higher res digital. They are purists and perfectionists, and it makes them happy.

Since the Internet is a digital medium and streaming bandwidth is still limited for many users, the Hearts of Space service has tried to provide a reliable, high quality experience at real world bit rates that are comparable to Spotify and the other big services. Doing this will allow us to keep our prices low and sustain our service for many years to come.

Safe Journey :: Stephen Hill