What is the high-res music enhancer on the yammie? Why is it necessary beyond being capable of playing back hi-res music?
A quick googling makes it look like it is "supposed to" enhance lossy music files.
Yes and no. Enhancer algorithm will work both with lossy and lossless files with lower bit depth and sampling rate. It's a higher-bit depth and higher-sampling rate software extension of up to 96 kHz/24-bit that can be applied to lossless 44.1/48 kHz content such as from a CD (2-channel PCM) file for further heightening of the musicality in the original content.
The graph shows the math in theory. How audible the enhancement is, everyone should try and listen. For this, users need to know their files. The feature can be a gimmick, but it does not need to be, depending on how well the software can execute repackaging with different file formats and how trained your ears are. It is to be tested with various file formats.
As an example, let's take FLAC into consideration. It is interesting as it comes in different flavors, both low resolution and high-res audio. In its most basic,
low-res FLAC files ripped from CDs or streamed usually have 44.1 kHz x 16-bit x 2 for stereo, so a bit-rate of up to 1.4 Mbps. If streamed from TV's apps, this could fit within ARC's bandwidth of ~1 Mbps and passed-through to AVR. AVR then can use the Enhancer to make it "FLAC on steroids".
If we were to look at a
high-res FLAC file at 96 kHz/24-bit, a commonly used high resolution sample rate, this contains a stream of information 24-bits in size. This stream of information is sampled 96,000 times a second- giving us the 96kHz part. With 2 channels, its bit rate could be up to 4.6 Mbps, hence TV's apps cannot cope with this bandwidth of audio output over ARC channel.
For this test, we will not be listening FLAC files from TV's apps, as high-res FLAC files cannot output from native ARC channel on TV's processor, even if you have eARC port for external devices (remember previous posts...). Take a source that is directly connected to AVR.
Volunteer guinea pigs are needed for an experiment at home. To compare Yamaha's advertised "musicality" performance between enhanced low-res FLAC file, aka "FLAC on Yamaha steroid", and genuine high-res FLAC file, we would need to listen to the same song encoded with different bit depth and different sampling rate stored as separate files.
Procedure
A - We need to prepare one song in three versions, as follows:
| - FLAC 44.1 kHz - 16-bit x 2 channels - original (low-res control against the Enhancer) |
| - FLAC 96.0 kHz - 24-bit x 2 channels - original (high-res control against both low-res and the Enhancer) |
| - FLAC 192 kHz - 24-bit x 2 channels - original (high-res control against high-res for audio fanboyz) |
B - Standardize the experience and gear: same volume, same speakers, same position, room conditions, etc.
C - Ready to listen? Go.... Which one sounds the best?
1. Can you tell the difference at 44.1/16-bit with and without the Enhancer?
No - gimmick or insensitive/untrained ears
Yes, it's worse with it - faulty algorithm or... audio hallucinations 
Yes, it's better with it - Enhancer works |
2. Can you tell the difference between 44.1/16-bit with the Enhancer and 96 kHz/24-bit original?
No - Enhancer works or insensitive/untrained ears
Yes, 96/24 is worse - odd, but feel free to fall in love with the Enhancer
Yes, 96/24 is better - Enhancer is a gimmick or it still works, but 96/24 is even better (ideally) |
(bonus test, for your own sanity) 3. Can you tell the difference between originals 44/16-bit and 96 kHz/24-bit?
No - insensitive or untrained ears (are you sure you need top AXA?)
Yes, 96/24 is worse - odd; ditch high-res listening; old CDs twisted your brain man
Yes, 96/24 is better - trained ears (true AXA fanboyz) |
(bonus test, for your own sanity) 4. Can you tell the difference between 96/24-bit and 192 kHz/24-bit?
No - do not feel guilty, hardly anyone can
Yes, 192/24 is worse - against the law of physics; get that Cortical implant at once
Yes, 192/24 is better - very hard to achieve; 99% of people are fulling themselves |
What did you find?
