tonistry.

Specs & measurements

Crosstalk

Also called channel separation, stereo crosstalk

Crosstalk is how much of one stereo channel leaks into the other inside a device, in decibels below the signal. Lower leakage keeps the stereo image stable; it is one of the measurable things a balanced connection improves.

0 dB−20−40−60−80−100leak−60 dB1/1000 of the levelmodern gear: −80 dBLeft: playingRight: silent
Crosstalk on a level scale: with only the left channel playing, its signal appears in the right channel 60 dB lower, a thousandth of its level. Most modern electronics manage −80 dB or better.

Crosstalk of −60 dB means the left signal appears in the right channel at a thousandth of its level. Most modern electronics manage −80 dB or better, well past audibility, though cheap 3.5mm jacks with a shared ground contact can be worse.

Because a Balanced vs single-ended headphone connection gives each channel its own return path, it removes the shared-ground source of crosstalk. That is a real difference, though whether it is audible is debated.

Related terms