Signal-to-noise ratio tells you how much of your system is music—and how much is garbage. We've all heard the figures and specs, but sometimes a deeper look is instructive.
Every component in your chain produces some degree of noise, even if you don’t hear it right away. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is the measurement of how loud the intended signal is compared to the background noise. It's expressed in decibels (dB), and the higher the number, the better.
For example, an SNR of 60dB means the music is 1,000 times louder than the background noise. That might sound good until you realize even modest modern gear can hit 100dB or more—meaning a 100,000:1 ratio. In a quiet listening room with efficient speakers, those extra dB make the difference between black silence and a faint hiss or hum that pulls you out of the music.
It’s not just about numbers. What matters is whether noise is masked by the music or audible in the gaps. When you're listening to a delicate violin solo or a reverb tail decaying into silence, a poor SNR flattens the space. Suddenly the recording feels more like audio than an experience.
Specs like “>110dB SNR” on modern DACs are common, but only meaningful when supported by low-noise power supplies, good grounding, and quiet gain stages. Look for consistency across the system, not just one hero spec.
Quiet systems reveal more than detail.
They reveal truth.
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