---
title: "The default PCM format s161e predates plan 9"
slug: the-default-pcm-format-s161e-predates-plan-9
type: evergreen
stime: 2026-05-25 @ 12:00AM
status: rough
certainty: likely
importance: 5
tags: [plan9, audio]
---

(s161e, stereo, 44.1kHz) or signed 16-bit little-endian PCM, 2 channels, 44,100 Hz is the most commonplace PCM variant, while PCM is the default standard audio encoding format for most applications (games, codecs, etc.). It was created in 1979, by Sony, and formalized as the CD audio standard in 1980.

## Related

- [The default format of Plan 9 audio streams as expected by /dev/audio is a 16-bit LE integer, stereo, sampled at 44.1 kHz](default-format-of-plan-9-audio-streams.md)
- [The Plan 9 audio interface is composed of 4 files](the-plan-9-audio-interface-is-composed-of-4-files.md)
- [12th International Workshop on Plan 9](12th-international-workshop-on-plan-9.md)