Signal-to-Noise Ratio
The gap between signal and noise floor — bigger is cleaner
Related
Signal-to-noise ratio is the gap between the wanted signal and the noise floor: the bigger the gap, the cleaner the sound. It is usually expressed in decibels, but "clean" also depends on the spectrum and character of the noise.
It differs from the noise floor: the floor is absolute, the ratio relative; it differs from dynamic range: dynamic range is the gap between the loudest undistorted signal and the floor, while SNR usually compares the current signal with the noise. The usual mistake is to assume a higher number always sounds better — the type of noise matters; digital gear has a high SNR, while analog gear often carries "characterful" noise.
Read deeper → noise floor
Sources
- 信噪比的定义与测量，参通行录音教材；本文为原创表述
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