diff --git a/components/esp-box/example/main/esp_box_example.cpp b/components/esp-box/example/main/esp_box_example.cpp
index 2e919e06e..e8f9cb33b 100644
--- a/components/esp-box/example/main/esp_box_example.cpp
+++ b/components/esp-box/example/main/esp_box_example.cpp
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ static std::recursive_mutex lvgl_mutex;
 static void draw_circle(int x0, int y0, int radius);
 static void clear_circles();
 
-static size_t load_audio();
+static bool load_audio(size_t &out_size, size_t &out_sample_rate);
 static void play_click(espp::EspBox &box);
 
 extern "C" void app_main(void) {
@@ -209,9 +209,17 @@ extern "C" void app_main(void) {
   lv_task.start();
 
   // load the audio file (wav file bundled in memory)
-  size_t wav_size = load_audio();
+  size_t wav_size = 0;
+  size_t wav_sample_rate = 0;
+  if (!load_audio(wav_size, wav_sample_rate)) {
+    logger.error("Failed to load audio file!");
+    return;
+  }
   logger.info("Loaded {} bytes of audio", wav_size);
 
+  logger.info("Setting audio sample rate to {} Hz", wav_sample_rate);
+  box.audio_sample_rate(wav_sample_rate);
+
   // unmute the audio and set the volume to 60%
   box.mute(false);
   box.volume(60.0f);
@@ -374,10 +382,10 @@ static void clear_circles() {
   circles.clear();
 }
 
-static size_t load_audio() {
+static bool load_audio(size_t &out_size, size_t &out_sample_rate) {
   // if the audio_bytes vector is already populated, return the size
   if (audio_bytes.size() > 0) {
-    return audio_bytes.size();
+    return true;
   }
 
   // load the audio data. these are configured in the CMakeLists.txt file
@@ -387,7 +395,21 @@ static size_t load_audio() {
   // cppcheck-suppress syntaxError
   extern const uint8_t click_wav_end[] asm("_binary_click_wav_end");
   audio_bytes = std::vector<uint8_t>(click_wav_start, click_wav_end);
-  return audio_bytes.size();
+  // ensure we have at least a wav header
+  if (audio_bytes.size() < 44) {
+    audio_bytes.clear();
+    return false;
+  }
+  // get the sample rate from the wav header (bytes 24-27)
+  uint32_t sample_rate = *(reinterpret_cast<const uint32_t *>(&audio_bytes[24]));
+  // set the audio sample rate accordingly
+  // decode the wav file header (first 44 bytes) and remove it
+  if (audio_bytes.size() > 44) {
+    audio_bytes.erase(audio_bytes.begin(), audio_bytes.begin() + 44);
+  }
+  out_size = audio_bytes.size();
+  out_sample_rate = sample_rate;
+  return true;
 }
 
 static void play_click(espp::EspBox &box) {
diff --git a/components/m5stack-tab5/example/main/m5stack_tab5_example.cpp b/components/m5stack-tab5/example/main/m5stack_tab5_example.cpp
index fa8664837..141f5c97c 100644
--- a/components/m5stack-tab5/example/main/m5stack_tab5_example.cpp
+++ b/components/m5stack-tab5/example/main/m5stack_tab5_example.cpp
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ static std::recursive_mutex lvgl_mutex;
 static void draw_circle(int x0, int y0, int radius);
 static void clear_circles();
 
-static size_t load_audio();
+static bool load_audio(size_t &out_size, size_t &out_sample_rate);
 static void play_click(espp::M5StackTab5 &tab5);
 
 extern "C" void app_main(void) {
@@ -321,10 +321,17 @@ extern "C" void app_main(void) {
                       }});
   lv_task.start();
 
-  // load the audio and play it once as a test
-  logger.info("Loading audio...");
-  auto num_bytes_loaded = load_audio();
-  logger.info("Loaded {} bytes of audio", num_bytes_loaded);
+  // load the audio file (wav file bundled in memory)
+  size_t wav_size = 0;
+  size_t wav_sample_rate = 0;
+  if (!load_audio(wav_size, wav_sample_rate)) {
+    logger.error("Failed to load audio file!");
+    return;
+  }
+  logger.info("Loaded {} bytes of audio", wav_size);
+
+  logger.info("Setting audio sample rate to {} Hz", wav_sample_rate);
+  tab5.audio_sample_rate(wav_sample_rate);
 
   // unmute the audio and set the volume to 60%
   tab5.mute(false);
@@ -512,10 +519,10 @@ static void clear_circles() {
   circles.clear();
 }
 
-static size_t load_audio() {
+static bool load_audio(size_t &out_size, size_t &out_sample_rate) {
   // if the audio_bytes vector is already populated, return the size
   if (audio_bytes.size() > 0) {
-    return audio_bytes.size();
+    return true;
   }
 
   // load the audio data. these are configured in the CMakeLists.txt file
@@ -525,7 +532,21 @@ static size_t load_audio() {
   // cppcheck-suppress syntaxError
   extern const uint8_t click_wav_end[] asm("_binary_click_wav_end");
   audio_bytes = std::vector<uint8_t>(click_wav_start, click_wav_end);
-  return audio_bytes.size();
+  // ensure we have at least a wav header
+  if (audio_bytes.size() < 44) {
+    audio_bytes.clear();
+    return false;
+  }
+  // get the sample rate from the wav header (bytes 24-27)
+  uint32_t sample_rate = *(reinterpret_cast<const uint32_t *>(&audio_bytes[24]));
+  // set the audio sample rate accordingly
+  // decode the wav file header (first 44 bytes) and remove it
+  if (audio_bytes.size() > 44) {
+    audio_bytes.erase(audio_bytes.begin(), audio_bytes.begin() + 44);
+  }
+  out_size = audio_bytes.size();
+  out_sample_rate = sample_rate;
+  return true;
 }
 
 static void play_click(espp::M5StackTab5 &tab5) {
diff --git a/components/t-deck/example/main/t_deck_example.cpp b/components/t-deck/example/main/t_deck_example.cpp
index 48fa5597b..5bd27d87f 100644
--- a/components/t-deck/example/main/t_deck_example.cpp
+++ b/components/t-deck/example/main/t_deck_example.cpp
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ static std::recursive_mutex lvgl_mutex;
 static void draw_circle(int x0, int y0, int radius);
 static void clear_circles();
 
-static size_t load_audio();
+static bool load_audio(size_t &out_size, size_t &out_sample_rate);
 static void play_click(espp::TDeck &tdeck);
 
 LV_IMG_DECLARE(mouse_cursor_icon);
@@ -180,9 +180,17 @@ extern "C" void app_main(void) {
   lv_task.start();
 
   // load the audio file (wav file bundled in memory)
-  size_t wav_size = load_audio();
+  size_t wav_size = 0;
+  size_t wav_sample_rate = 0;
+  if (!load_audio(wav_size, wav_sample_rate)) {
+    logger.error("Failed to load audio file!");
+    return;
+  }
   logger.info("Loaded {} bytes of audio", wav_size);
 
+  logger.info("Setting audio sample rate to {} Hz", wav_sample_rate);
+  tdeck.audio_sample_rate(wav_sample_rate);
+
   // unmute the audio and set the volume to 20%
   tdeck.mute(false);
   tdeck.volume(20.0f);
@@ -223,10 +231,10 @@ static void clear_circles() {
   circles.clear();
 }
 
-static size_t load_audio() {
+static bool load_audio(size_t &out_size, size_t &out_sample_rate) {
   // if the audio_bytes vector is already populated, return the size
   if (audio_bytes.size() > 0) {
-    return audio_bytes.size();
+    return true;
   }
 
   // load the audio data. these are configured in the CMakeLists.txt file
@@ -236,7 +244,21 @@ static size_t load_audio() {
   // cppcheck-suppress syntaxError
   extern const uint8_t click_wav_end[] asm("_binary_click_wav_end");
   audio_bytes = std::vector<uint8_t>(click_wav_start, click_wav_end);
-  return audio_bytes.size();
+  // ensure we have at least a wav header
+  if (audio_bytes.size() < 44) {
+    audio_bytes.clear();
+    return false;
+  }
+  // get the sample rate from the wav header (bytes 24-27)
+  uint32_t sample_rate = *(reinterpret_cast<const uint32_t *>(&audio_bytes[24]));
+  // set the audio sample rate accordingly
+  // decode the wav file header (first 44 bytes) and remove it
+  if (audio_bytes.size() > 44) {
+    audio_bytes.erase(audio_bytes.begin(), audio_bytes.begin() + 44);
+  }
+  out_size = audio_bytes.size();
+  out_sample_rate = sample_rate;
+  return true;
 }
 
 static void play_click(espp::TDeck &tdeck) {