DTS Play-Fi’s “Critical Listening” Mode enables Hi-Res audio streaming

TOKYO, JAPAN. August 04, 2020 — The Onkyo & Pioneer Corporation is pleased to pleased to release a firmware update on August 4th for select Pioneer network A/V receivers and network stereo receivers. Enabling DTS Play-Fi®'s Critical Listening mode, this update supports Hi-Res Audio streaming up to 192 kHz/24-bit resolution via services such as Amazon Music HD and Qobuz*. User content from Media Servers (NAS) or local storage on Android and iOS devices can also be played via compatible Play-Fi Apps such as Pioneer Music Control.

* Service availability depends on country or region. Some services may require a paid subscription. Qobuz is streamed after converting from MQA to FLAC.

What is DTS Play-Fi?

DTS Play-Fi is a premium wireless audio ecosystem for whole-home music, whole-home TV audio, and app-based private listening, supporting high-resolution audio streaming and sub-millisecond playback accuracy. Compatible products, including TVs, mobile devices, sound bars, receivers and speakers seamlessly interoperate to form a complete whole-home entertainment experience.

About Critical Listening Mode

Play-Fi traditionally plays music streams in their native format and encoding. Hi-Res Audio, however, is down-sampled to CD quality to maintain compatibility across all products within the ecosystem. When using Critical Listening Mode with supported products, Hi-Res Audio, up to 192 kHz/24-bit resolution, is streamed without down-sampling or re-sampling, delivering bit-perfect audio with full signal integrity, completely free of network induced jitter.

To learn more about DTS Play-Fi, visit www.play-fi.com


Enabling Critical Listening Mode

Before selecting a Play-Fi product, tap the Hi-Res Audio logo button in the top right of the Connect window on the Pioneer Music Control App*. This will change the list to display Play-Fi products that are compatible with this mode. Select your single product of choice, and then play from your desired source for the truest audio reproduction over Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

*Available for free download from the App Store/Google Play


Firmware Compatibility

Firmware for DTS Play-Fi Critical Listening Mode is available for these models:

SC-LX904, SC-LXC704, VSX-LX504, VSX-LX304


Firmware can be downloaded and installed directly on network-connected components or downloaded to USB memory from the Pioneer website and installed via the receiver's USB input. 

Visit the Pioneer firmware support page: https://intl.pioneer-audiovisual.com/support/



Pioneer and the logos are registered trademarks of Pioneer Corporation, and are used under license. DTS, the symbol DTS and the DTS Play-Fi logo, are registered trademarks or trademarks of DTS, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. © DTS, Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, AirPlay, and Mac are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. iOS is a trademark on which Cisco holds the trademark right in the US and certain other countries and is used under license. Wi-Fi® is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. Android and Google Play are trademarks of Google LLC. Amazon, Amazon Music, and all related logos are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Microsoft Windows Operating System is indicated in its abbreviated form as Windows. The product with the Hi-Res audio logo is conformed to Hi-Res audio standard defined by Japan Audio Society. The logo is used under license from Japan Audio Society. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective holders.