audio/wavaudio/wav is the media type for WAV (Waveform Audio File Format) audio, a lossless format usually carrying uncompressed PCM samples. With no quality loss, it serves as a master format for audio editing, recording, and short sound effects.
WAV is based on Microsoft/IBM's RIFF container and typically holds raw, uncompressed audio, so files are very large (roughly 10MB per minute at CD quality). It therefore suits local editing, server-side processing, and short UI sounds more than internet streaming distribution; for large distribution, lossy formats like MP3 or Opus are far more economical.
It is raw binary rather than uncompressed text, and while there is some compressibility, on the web it is better delivered as a lossy codec than gzipped. Because files are large, Range-request (206) support helps playback and seeking, and an accurate Content-Length lets players compute duration correctly. Minor cross-browser label differences exist (audio/wav vs audio/x-wav vs audio/wave), and audio/wav is the safest.
e.g. Content-Type: audio/wav