What is actually behind the mystical “Hi-Res Audio” label on the packaging?
First of all: it is NOT HRA (High Resolution Audio), but the similarity is not entirely unintentional. The JAS (Japan Audio Society), as the leading organization behind the label first used by Sony on its own record player years ago, stipulates for analogue devices, for example, that a “speaker and headphone performance of 40 kHz or above” must be achieved for headphones (which is what we are talking about). This label is not “awarded”, you simply have to pay for it.
How many people have been seduced by this seemingly glamorous label in the belief that they are getting a superior product? Well, it’s time to debunk the fairy tale. First of all, what does “Hi-Res Audio” really mean in the context of JAS? It’s a definition that dictates that the product must be capable of reproducing frequencies of 40 kHz or more. But I have to interject: when was the last time a reader heard a frequency of 40 kHz? Nobody can, because the human ear can usually only perceive up to 20 kHz (usually much less). So why a label that is based on an ability that we as humans cannot even use?
Because the JAS says nothing about the actual reproduction quality and the required parameters, but merely raises the upper limit of the frequency range to twice that of conventional sound transducers, without specifying any tolerance limits. Each company can decide for itself what sounds really good in the end:“Listening evaluation process is added and final decision as Hi-Res Audio product to be proven according to each company’s sound evaluation standard“. But of course, as always, we will test listen, measure and judge objectively ourselves.
This leads to a lot of misunderstandings and misdirection. Because while the JAS Hi-Res Audio certificate suggests that the certified product delivers superior sound quality, this is not necessarily the case. No matter how high-resolution a headphone or speaker is in terms of frequencies, if it is poorly designed or tuned, it will still sound bad. It’s also important to remember that not all Hi-Res Audio certified products are the same. Some may indeed be capable of reproducing 40 kHz or more, but the quality and method of reproduction varies greatly. Some may only be able to reproduce these frequencies with a lot of noise or distortion. A certificate says nothing about quality, it simply states that a certain technical specification has somehow been achieved.
What frustrates me the most is that many consumers believe that if they buy a Hi-Res Audio certified product, they will automatically get a better audio experience. But that’s simply not the case. There are so many other factors that influence sound quality, such as the quality of the recording, the mastering, the source of the audio material and, last but not least, your own hearing. The JAS Hi-Res Audio certificate is basically just a nasty marketing tool.
It says little to nothing about the actual quality of the product and it misleads consumers by making them believe they are getting something they can’t actually get. It’s high time we educated people about the truth behind these certificates and encouraged consumers to base their purchasing decisions on facts and real quality, not glitzy labels. After all, you end up paying for them. And I must also make one thing clear: Edifier, i.e. HECATE, didn’t need it at all with the GX05!
Technical data
| Type of construction: | In-ear (true wireless, wireless) |
| Ear canal headphones: | Closed |
| Microphone: | Integrated |
| Connectivity: | Bluetooth 5.3 2.4 GHz wireless via dongle |
| Driver: | 10 mm |
| Frequency range: | 20 Hz – 40 kHz |
| Audio protocol: | A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSF |
| Audio codec: | SBC, LDHC5.0 |
| Battery life: | 4.5 hours (Bluetooth) 4 hours (2.4 GHz) An additional 11 hours via charging case |
| Weight: | 107.6 g net complete 4.9 g per earphone |
| Connection: |
USB-C |
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