SampleRate Enumeration

Quantization of the analog waveform, or signal, is a real-time process operating over a continuous time-period which produces a “stream” of digital values. In order for the process to work you must define the rate at which new digital values are measured, or sampled, from the analog signal. The rate at which new values are measured is called the “sampling rate” (a.k.a., the sampling frequency).

Audio based Compact Discs use a sampling rate of 44,100 Hz; this means the the Nyquist frequency is 22,050 Hz (i.e., the upper bound on the highest frequency that the digital data can clearly represent without aliasing). This sample rate selection was no accident as the range of hearing for a healthy young person is approximately 20 to 20,000 Hz.

In plain English, higher sampling rates will equate to higher quality sound reproduction but anything above 44,100 Hz will not be perceived as better quality by normal human beings.

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