Quote:
Originally Posted by newBgeek
Also, the decibel scale is logarithmic, so every 10db gain has 10X the sound intensity, so a 30db gain actually has 1000 times more sound intensity which qualifies as hi-fi in my book.
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While this information is not incorrect, I believe you misunderstood Topless's comment regarding dynamic range.
With an 80db noise floor (his example, not mine. But I can measure it next time I take the car out) you lose a lot of information because you only have a 30db "window"
From a quick search, here are the dynamic range capabilities of various media;
78 RPM Phonograph = 40 dB quickly reduced to 30 dB and worse due to wear
Compact Cassette = 50 dB
Digital 16 Bit Audio = 96 dB
24 Bit Audio = 144 dB
So while a snare may measure 116db at your ears, a soft piano key may fall below the 80db floor, and get lost. You can overcome this with equalization and compression, but you end up with stifled dynamics.
Probably not helpful, I just wanted to clear up dynamic range vs max spl.