A revolution for your ears is here.

For decades consumers have languished in a pit of substandard audio fidelity, thanks to the ubiquitous mp3 file.

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We were led to believe we were getting a great audio experience – one that allowed our favourite music to exist on a device no larger than the palm of a hand.

But that small and convenient file size comes at a cost: a loss of quality, less than you experience from a CD.

Serious audiophiles have known this for many years, but now after a few decades we’re finally seeing our lifestyle audio experience catch up to the HD quality we’ve enjoyed in video for quite some time.

Enter: high-resolution, or HD, audio.

What is high-resolution audio?

This is music as the artist intended it to be. High-resolution audio is the equivalent in quality to the sound produced in the studio, which is better than CD.

From a technical perspective, high-resolution audio features both a high bitrate and sample rate.

The Pros

A high-resolution audio track presents a richer tonal range and greater audio ‘accuracy’ of the source material.

The nuances of instrumentation and vocals that may be lost in the compression process to mp3 are reproduced authentically with high-resolution audio.

The Cons

The file size for high-resolution audio tracks is huge compared to the mp3s we’re used to. An average mp3 album will be around 100 to 150MB in size, while the high-resolution audio version may be around 1 to 1.5GB.

Cost is also an issue, with most portable devices entering the market at higher price points than we’re accustomed to.

Plus, if you’re going to enter high-resolution portable audio player territory, you’d best pack some high-quality headphones, otherwise you won’t even notice the difference.

Here are five portable ways to listen to high-resolution audio:

Sony Walkman NWZ-ZX1

Price: $699

In a nutshell: Music royalty, Sony’s new Walkman is a gateway drug to high-resolution audio.

Powered by Android software, this digital Walkman feels familiar in the hand, owing to a generous 4-inch display, metal casing and various button controls on the side.

While only offering a humble 128GB of storage – with the ability to play a range of audio formats – sturdy construction and easily navigable software mean you should get many years of service for the high price paid.

FiiO X5

Price: $440

In a nutshell: Looking like a cross between an old-school iPod and a cigarette case from the Death Star, the new FiiO X5 is one swanky piece of audio hardware.

Two expansion slots handling up to 256GB of memory, a mighty battery and built-in EQ make this portable digital player a great option; performing equally as well with standard mp3 files as it does with high-resolution files.

Astell & Kern AK240

Price: $3569

The Aston Martin of high-resolution audio, the AK240 from Astell & Kern is not for the faint-hearted.

Combining Direct-Stream Digital and Dual DAC technologies, Astell & Kern have created a digital music player that reproduces music as close to the original source material as possible.

HiFiMAN HM-802

Price: $899

In a nutshell: Known for their headphones, HiFiMAN has made a powerful digital audio player, delivering deep bass and clean and clear mid-range.

It’s a superb listening experience, made even more enjoyable with the optional balanced amp card.

Music management is handled via drag and drop onto an SD memory card, making the HM-802 quite user friendly. The battery is also replaceable, improving flexibility and lifespan.

Pono

Price: TBA

In a nutshell: Neil Young’s Kickstarter-funded HD audio player may have received the lion’s share of publicity for high-resolution audio devices, but the device has left many critics wanting.

Design flaws make the Pono a pain for everyday use, the triangular shape proving unnecessarily bulky while leaving controls free to be accidentally bumped – there is no LOCK button. D’oh!