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Old 01-11-2016, 06:27 PM   #15
newBgeek
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Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Canada
Posts: 89
Quote:
Originally Posted by alm001 View Post
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.
Yes, I get what he meant. I was just making the point that 30db is actually a lot more dynamic range than what the numbers might suggest. We want a 90db or greater noise floor in our music source so that we can have absolute silence when the music isn't playing. Gone are the days when we could set our music volume by the noise we hear before the music starts playing! True, we are going to lose some of the nuances of the music due to road noise, especially during quiet music passages, but that is true with any car. Is it still worth doing a decent stereo in the Boxster? If you have a stock or mild aftermarket exhaust, then absolutely. If you have a racing exhaust, it's probably not worthwhile.

Most of us drive the Boxster because it makes us feel special. Sometimes we just want to put our foot in it and hear the song of the engine, which is great. Other times we just want to cruise and turn on some cruising tunes. It's nice to have a sound that is rich, lush, and wraps around you like a warm blanket. It just gives the Boxster that extra-special feeling of refinement.
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