49.152MHz and 45.1584MHz, the "heartbeats" of digital audio in the audio industry
2025-03-25
49.152MHz and 45.1584MHz are two crucial high-precision clock frequencies, mainly used for generating the reference sampling rates of digital audio systems. Their core function is to provide stable time base signals for different audio formats through frequency division technology, thereby reducing jitter and ensuring pure sound quality. The following is an application and technical comparison of the two in different fields
Core Frequency Division Relationships and Audio Standards
Corresponding standards: Film and television production (48kHz), streaming media services (such as Netflix, Spotify), professional recording equipment. 45.1584MHz: Frequency division targets: 44.1kHz (CD audio quality), 88.2kHz, 176.4kHz. Formulas： 44.1kHz = 45.1584MHz ÷ 1024 88.2kHz = 45.1584MHz ÷ 512 176.4kHz = 45.1584MHz ÷ 256 Corresponding standards: CD/SACD playback, traditional music storage formats (such as WAV, FLAC).
2.Multi-sampling Rate Compatibility Dual-clock design: High-end devices (such as the dCS Vivaldi DAC) integrate two crystal oscillators simultaneously, and automatically switch to support 44.1kHz and 48kHz series audio sources. Asynchronous Sample Rate Conversion (ASRC): Unify the clock through an FPGA or a dedicated chip, but it may introduce additional jitter, affecting the sound quality.
Application Scenarios and Technical Requirements
1.Professional Audio Equipment
Recording Studio Equipment: o Multi-track recorders (such as the AVID Pro Tools HDX) use 49.152MHz to generate a 48kHz clock, ensuring synchronization with film and television post-production. o Mastering equipment (such as the Prism Sound ADA-8XR) needs to support both 44.1kHz and 48kHz, and adopts a dual-clock design. Broadcast Systems: o Mixing consoles (such as the Lawo mc²56) rely on 49.152MHz to generate 48kHz signals, meeting the audio standards of radio and television (such as AES3).
2.Consumer Electronics Products Hi-Fi Audio:
o CD/SACD players (such as the Esoteric K-01XD) use 45.1584MHz to optimize 44.1kHz playback. o Streaming media decoders (such as the Linn Klimax DSM) support 48kHz high-resolution streaming media through 49.152MHz.
Home Theaters: o AV receivers (such as the Denon AVR-X8500H) need to be compatible with both frequencies to match Blu-ray (48kHz) and CD (44.1kHz) content.
3. Car Audio and Portable Devices
In-vehicle Digital Signal Processors (DSPs): o Use 49.152MHz to generate 48kHz signals, reducing jitter caused by in-vehicle power supply interference. Portable DAC Amplifiers (such as the iFi Audio Hip-DAC): o Integrate a low-power 45.1584MHz crystal oscillator to optimize the playback of 44.1kHz audio sources on mobile devices.
Technical Comparison and Selection Considerations
Parameters
49.152MHz
45.1584MHz
Core Uses
Film and television production, streaming media, professional recording
Music storage (CD/SACD), traditional Hi-Fi playback
Phase Noise Requirements
≤-150dBc/Hz@1kHz
≤-145dBc/Hz@1kHz
Recommended Models
CO21H4-49.152-18KDTST
CO21H4-45.1584-18KDTST
Typical Cost
Higher (required for film and television grade equipment)
Moderate (mainly for consumer grade equipment)
Selection Suggestions: For film and television and streaming media: Give priority to 49.152MHz to ensure compatibility with the 48kHz series. For music playback and CD/SACD: Choose the design optimized for 45.1584MHz. For multi-format compatible systems: Adopt a dual-clock + FPGA dynamic switching approach (such as the MSB Reference DAC).
49.152MHz and 45.1584MHz are the "heartbeats" of digital audio in the audio industry, serving the two major systems of film and television/streaming media (48kHz series) and music storage (44.1kHz series) respectively. High-end devices use a dual-clock architecture, ultra-low noise power supplies, and precise PCB layouts to minimize jitter and restore pure sound quality. In the future, with the popularization of high-resolution audio and immersive sound effects, clock technology will continue to evolve towards ultra-low phase noise and multi-protocol compatibility.
