tonistry.

Specs & measurements

SNR

Also called signal-to-noise ratio, S/N

SNR, signal-to-noise ratio, is how much louder the signal is than the background noise a device produces on its own, in decibels. Higher is better; above about 100 dB, noise is usually inaudible at normal listening levels.

0−20−40−60−80−100−120dB115 dB90 dBfull outputnoise floorrule of thumbquiet devicenoisier device
SNR is the gap in decibels between full output and the noise a device makes on its own. As a rule of thumb, an SNR above about 100 dB, like the 115 dB device, keeps hiss inaudible at normal listening levels, while 90 dB may not; on sensitive IEMs the absolute noise floor matters more.

Noise is the hiss or hum present even with nothing playing. SNR compares that to a reference level, usually full output, so a device with a high SNR can still hiss audibly on very sensitive IEMs if its Noise floor in absolute terms is high. For sensitive earphones, the noise floor in microvolts is the more useful number.

SNR ignores distortion; SINAD includes it. Dynamic range is a closely related figure measured with a low-level signal present.

Related terms