High-resolution audio is “hitting the market at the right...

search of broad backing,” Arnold said. For awareness of high-res audio to gain traction, more audio companies need to help promote the feature and build awareness beyond the audio enthusiast base, he said. According to an NPD headphone study, 58 percent of premium headphone buyers said sound quality is an important purchase motivator, and 89 percent of wireless speaker owners said sound quality was the leading motivator in their purchase decision, with market numbers indicating some consumers are paying more in support of those trends. Wireless speakers priced above $150 have shown 103 percent sales growth over past year, and soundbars above $600 grew in sales by 44 percent, Arnold said, showing a “growing market for premium, better sounding audio products.” While legacy AV receiver sales as a whole have declined 12 percent in the past year, sales of those above $1,000 grew by 4 percent, he said. Another limiting factor for high-res audio is scarcity of content, Arnold said, citing HD Tracks and iTrax as the most widely known distributors of lossless digital music downloads. But popular streaming services including Pandora and Spotify and marketplaces including iTunes and Google Play Music don’t currently offer “true hi-res” music files or streaming options, Arnold noted. “If the true test is hearing the difference between standard MP3 files and lossless hi-res music, consumers have few places to listen,” he said. While hardware specifications and bitrate statistics may move some consumers to step up to higher quality audio, the majority of consumers need to listen to the difference before they can be swayed, Arnold said. “This requires a broader alliance of industry partners with manufacturers, retailers, and content providers all playing a role,” he said. Music listeners have indicated they want the best quality audio experience possible, he said, “but without the opportunity to hear for themselves, the days of good enough quality are here to stay.”