Signal-to-noise ratio is one of the most misunderstood specifications in audio. It’s supposed to tell us how much louder the music is than the background noise of the system. On paper, a higher number seems better. But numbers alone don’t tell the full story, because the way we perceive noise is as important as the measurement itself.
A system with an S/N ratio of 100 dB should be nearly silent, with the noise floor well below audibility. Yet in practice, design factors like grounding, shielding, and circuit layout determine whether that noise creeps into the music.
Two products can measure similarly but sound very different if one buries hiss or hum within the music and the other keeps it separate and inaudible.
It’s also worth noting that most recorded music rarely exceeds 60–70 dB of dynamic range. That means that once your system’s noise floor is comfortably below that threshold, further improvements on paper may not translate into audible benefits.
In fact, obsessing over S/N numbers can distract from more meaningful qualities like linearity, distortion, or transient response.
In listening, the impact of a quiet system is profound. Silence between notes allows dynamics to bloom and subtle details to emerge without strain.
The absence of hum or hiss removes distractions that remind us we’re listening to electronics. But the key isn’t chasing specs to infinity—it’s achieving noise performance that supports the illusion of live music.
Beyond that, the ear, not the meter, is the final judge.
