diff --git a/crates/qbz-audio/src/alsa_direct.rs b/crates/qbz-audio/src/alsa_direct.rs
index 22379eb3c..0f913341e 100644
--- a/crates/qbz-audio/src/alsa_direct.rs
+++ b/crates/qbz-audio/src/alsa_direct.rs
@@ -623,10 +623,7 @@ impl AlsaDirectStream {
                 // Clamp to 24-bit range: [-8388608, 8388607]
                 let samples_i32: Vec<i32> = samples_f32
                     .iter()
-                    .map(|&s| {
-                        let scaled = s * 8_388_607.0;
-                        scaled.clamp(-8_388_608.0, 8_388_607.0) as i32
-                    })
+                    .map(|&s| crate::pcm_sample::s24(s))
                     .collect();
 
                 let io = pcm
@@ -643,12 +640,7 @@ impl AlsaDirectStream {
                 let mut bytes: Vec<u8> = Vec::with_capacity(samples_f32.len() * 3);
 
                 for &sample in samples_f32 {
-                    let scaled = sample * 8_388_607.0;
-                    let s24 = scaled.clamp(-8_388_608.0, 8_388_607.0) as i32;
-                    // Pack as 3 bytes in little-endian order
-                    bytes.push((s24 & 0xFF) as u8); // LSB
-                    bytes.push(((s24 >> 8) & 0xFF) as u8); // Middle
-                    bytes.push(((s24 >> 16) & 0xFF) as u8); // MSB (sign-extended)
+                    bytes.extend_from_slice(&crate::pcm_sample::s24_packed(sample));
                 }
 
                 let io = pcm.io_bytes();
@@ -660,7 +652,7 @@ impl AlsaDirectStream {
             Format::S16LE => {
                 // f32 -> i16
                 let samples_i16: Vec<i16> =
-                    samples_f32.iter().map(|&s| (s * 32_767.0) as i16).collect();
+                    samples_f32.iter().map(|&s| crate::pcm_sample::s16(s)).collect();
 
                 let io = pcm
                     .io_i16()
diff --git a/crates/qbz-audio/src/lib.rs b/crates/qbz-audio/src/lib.rs
index 6b6d6eab2..83c4fc8ce 100644
--- a/crates/qbz-audio/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/qbz-audio/src/lib.rs
@@ -127,3 +127,6 @@ pub fn device_supports_sample_rate(_device_id: &str, _sample_rate: u32) -> Optio
 pub fn get_device_supported_rates(_device_id: &str) -> Option<Vec<u32>> {
     None
 }
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+mod pcm_sample;
diff --git a/crates/qbz-audio/src/pcm_sample.rs b/crates/qbz-audio/src/pcm_sample.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1f2969dd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/qbz-audio/src/pcm_sample.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+//! Integer PCM encoding for the normalized f32 decoder pipeline.
+//! Scale by the signed range's power of two; positive full scale saturates.
+
+pub(crate) fn s16(sample: f32) -> i16 {
+    (sample * 32_768.0) as i16
+}
+
+pub(crate) fn s24(sample: f32) -> i32 {
+    (sample * 8_388_608.0).clamp(-8_388_608.0, 8_388_607.0) as i32
+}
+
+pub(crate) fn s24_packed(sample: f32) -> [u8; 3] {
+    let bytes = s24(sample).to_le_bytes();
+    [bytes[0], bytes[1], bytes[2]]
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use symphonia::core::{audio::SampleBuffer, conv::FromSample, sample::i24};
+
+    #[test]
+    fn every_signed_16_and_24_bit_value_round_trips() {
+        for value in i16::MIN..=i16::MAX {
+            assert_eq!(
+                s16(f32::from_sample(value)).to_le_bytes(),
+                value.to_le_bytes()
+            );
+        }
+        for value in -8_388_608i32..=8_388_607 {
+            let decoded = f32::from_sample(i24::from(value));
+            assert_eq!(s24(decoded).to_le_bytes(), value.to_le_bytes());
+            assert_eq!(s24_packed(decoded), value.to_le_bytes()[..3]);
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn nonfinite_and_out_of_range_samples_saturate_without_wrapping() {
+        for sample in [f32::NAN, 0.0, -0.0] {
+            assert_eq!(s16(sample), 0);
+            assert_eq!(s24(sample), 0);
+        }
+        for sample in [1.0, 2.0, f32::INFINITY] {
+            assert_eq!(s16(sample), i16::MAX);
+            assert_eq!(s24(sample), 8_388_607);
+        }
+        for sample in [-1.0, -2.0, f32::NEG_INFINITY] {
+            assert_eq!(s16(sample), i16::MIN);
+            assert_eq!(s24(sample), -8_388_608);
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn wav(values: &[i32], bits: u16) -> Vec<u8> {
+        let width = usize::from(bits / 8);
+        let size = (values.len() * width) as u32;
+        let mut bytes = b"RIFF".to_vec();
+        bytes.extend_from_slice(&(36 + size).to_le_bytes());
+        bytes.extend_from_slice(b"WAVEfmt ");
+        bytes.extend_from_slice(&16u32.to_le_bytes());
+        bytes.extend_from_slice(&1u16.to_le_bytes()); // PCM
+        bytes.extend_from_slice(&2u16.to_le_bytes()); // stereo
+        bytes.extend_from_slice(&192_000u32.to_le_bytes());
+        bytes.extend_from_slice(&(192_000u32 * 2 * width as u32).to_le_bytes());
+        bytes.extend_from_slice(&(2u16 * width as u16).to_le_bytes());
+        bytes.extend_from_slice(&bits.to_le_bytes());
+        bytes.extend_from_slice(b"data");
+        bytes.extend_from_slice(&size.to_le_bytes());
+        for value in values {
+            bytes.extend_from_slice(&value.to_le_bytes()[..width]);
+        }
+        bytes
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn real_decoder_preserves_192khz_stereo_pcm_bytes() {
+        use symphonia::core::{errors::Error, io::MediaSourceStream, probe::Hint};
+        for bits in [16, 24] {
+            let values = if bits == 16 {
+                (i16::MIN..=i16::MAX).map(i32::from).collect::<Vec<_>>()
+            } else {
+                let mut values = vec![-8_388_608, -8_388_607, -1, 0, 1, 8_388_606, 8_388_607, 0];
+                let mut state = 0x5261_984du32;
+                for _ in 0..65_536 {
+                    state = state.wrapping_mul(1_664_525).wrapping_add(1_013_904_223);
+                    values.push((state as i32) >> 8);
+                }
+                values
+            };
+            let source = MediaSourceStream::new(
+                Box::new(std::io::Cursor::new(wav(&values, bits))),
+                Default::default(),
+            );
+            let mut format = symphonia::default::get_probe()
+                .format(
+                    &Hint::new(),
+                    source,
+                    &Default::default(),
+                    &Default::default(),
+                )
+                .unwrap()
+                .format;
+            let params = format.default_track().unwrap().codec_params.clone();
+            assert_eq!(params.sample_rate, Some(192_000));
+            assert_eq!(params.channels.unwrap().count(), 2);
+            let mut decoder = symphonia::default::get_codecs()
+                .make(&params, &Default::default())
+                .unwrap();
+            let mut offset = 0;
+            loop {
+                let packet = match format.next_packet() {
+                    Ok(packet) => packet,
+                    Err(Error::IoError(error))
+                        if error.kind() == std::io::ErrorKind::UnexpectedEof =>
+                    {
+                        break
+                    }
+                    Err(error) => panic!("unexpected decoder error: {error}"),
+                };
+                let decoded = decoder.decode(&packet).unwrap();
+                let mut samples =
+                    SampleBuffer::<f32>::new(decoded.capacity() as u64, *decoded.spec());
+                samples.copy_interleaved_ref(decoded);
+                for sample in samples.samples() {
+                    let expected = values[offset];
+                    if bits == 16 {
+                        assert_eq!(s16(*sample).to_le_bytes(), (expected as i16).to_le_bytes());
+                    } else {
+                        assert_eq!(s24(*sample).to_le_bytes(), expected.to_le_bytes());
+                        assert_eq!(s24_packed(*sample), expected.to_le_bytes()[..3]);
+                    }
+                    offset += 1;
+                }
+            }
+            assert_eq!(offset, values.len());
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/scripts/cargo-test.sh b/scripts/cargo-test.sh
index 775397919..1f604a019 100755
--- a/scripts/cargo-test.sh
+++ b/scripts/cargo-test.sh
@@ -211,6 +211,11 @@ cargo test --manifest-path crates/Cargo.toml -p qconnect-app --lib -- handoff_
 cargo test --manifest-path crates/Cargo.toml -p qbz-audio --lib -- pcm_write::tests::
 cargo test --manifest-path crates/Cargo.toml -p qbz-qobuz --lib -- incremental_
 
+say "gate: exact integer PCM encoding and real decoder byte round trips"
+n=$(cargo test --manifest-path crates/Cargo.toml -p qbz-audio --lib -- --list pcm_sample::tests:: 2>/dev/null | grep -c ': test$' || true)
+(( n >= 3 )) || { echo "PCM encoding suite has $n tests (expected >= 3)"; exit 1; }
+cargo test --manifest-path crates/Cargo.toml -p qbz-audio --lib -- pcm_sample::tests::
+
 say "gate: 2026-09 static-review regressions present (image-cache LRU, loudness-cache degrade, log-rotation lock, URL-free CDN errors + signed-param redaction, link-resolver timeout)"
 n=$(cargo test --manifest-path crates/Cargo.toml -p qbz-cache --lib -- --list image_cache::tests:: 2>/dev/null \
     | grep -c ': test$' || true)