An audio fidelity meter includes a scale which uses colors to visually represent the fidelity of an encoded digital audio file based at least on its extracted bit rate. The bit rate is one of several digital audio quality descriptors. Other descriptors include format, source, bit width, and sample rate. The extracted bit rate is fed into a lookup table for processing. One or more of the other descriptors can also be extracted and fed in combination with the extracted bit rate into the lookup table for processing. The lookup table stores information on various digital audio formats, sources and associated bit rates, bit widths and sample rates in the form of a database. The input bit width, sample rate, format, originating source and/or bit rate is/are compared against the database to generate a digital audio quality output. The output may be visually displayed via the scale, a fidelity meter needle and an associated numerical bit rate display.