SNR: What is and how does the signal-signed relationship influence sound quality

Discovering the SNR or signal-signed relationship

In this guide I am going to talk about the Signal-signal ratioknown in most cases as SNR. It is a fairly recurring concept for those looking for the highest sound quality, either in professional audio equipment, domestic sound, headphones or even in the field of musical recording and production. In fact, it is closely related to the ANC or noise cancellation.

But why is this matter relevant to you? Understand What is the SNR and how it affects what you hear It is essential to obtain the maximum fidelity of an audio source. If you want to deepen this issue more, stay with me in this exploration on the signal-fed relationship and its importance for those who seek purest sound. Let’s go to it!

What is the signal-fed or SNR ratio?

The signal-ruling relationship, also known as SNR for its acronym in English (Signal-to-Naise Ratio), It is a basic concept when we talk about any system that manages signals. Anyway, it is in the audio world where it takes special relevance. Simplifying it a lot, the SNR is a measure that compares the power of a desired signal, in this case, the sound to be heard, with The power of unwanted background noise which is present in the same system.

To understand it, I give you an example. Think for a moment that You are trying to listen to someone to speak in an auditorium. That person’s voice is sign. Because? Because it’s what you want to hear. However, in this same auditorium there are other sounds: the buzz of an appliance, the murmur of other conversations, the noise of the traffic of the street … as what you have come to listen is the voice of the person who gives the conference, all these sounds are considered noise.

Well, taking into consideration the previous example, the signal-fed or SNR ratio is the way to quantify to what extent the speaker’s voice is imposed (signal) with respect to all that environmental noise (noise).

How is SNR quantified?

SNR is expressed in Decibels (DB). But is a high or low relationship better? In a nutshell, the ideal thing for those who seek the greatest purity in the audio is that the high-signal relationship is high.

A High SNR value It means that the power of the signal is much greater than the power of the noise. Returning to the example of the auditorium, a high SNR would be as if the speaker spoke to you very high and the background noises were very low. This is the perfect scenario, since the signal is what you really are interested in listening. The noises are nothing more than discomfort, but if the signal-signed relationship is high, it means that they are barely present.

On the contrary, A low SNR It indicates that the signal and noise have similar powers, or even that noise is more powerful. This would be as if the person spoke to you very low and the noise of the room was very high. It would cost you a lot to distinguish your voice between noise, making your experience very bad.

The most common scale to measure the SNR is this:

> 40 dB. Excellent. Very strong and clear signal compared to noise.
25 dB – 40 dB. Good signal-fed relationship. Suitable for most applications, including high quality streaming.
15 dB – 25 dB. Acceptable, but low. The signal is distinguishable, but the noise begins to be significant.
10 dB – 15 dB. Very low. The noise is almost as strong as the signal.
<10 dB. Insufficient

The origin of noise

As I have mentioned above, the signal is music, voice or any sound that is being recorded, reproduced or transmitted. Noise can come from various sources Within the audio team itself. This happens in both headphones and amplifiers, through one of the key computer components in this regard: The sound card. It is a detail that must be emphasized. In no case are we referring to external noise, such as the sound of street cars or the screams of children in a park.

Within the SNR, the noise always comes from the audio device itself. Some of the causes and sources are these:

Noise generated by the internal electronics of the device.
Electromagnetic interference captured by the environment, such as electrical cables or other devices.
Quantization noise, which appears when converting analog to digital signals.
Hum or buzz noise, often related to the frequency of the electricity grid.
Hiss noise, a high frequency background whistle.
Diaphony, when a signal signal is “sneak” in another.
Thermal noise, caused by the agitation of electrons in the components.
Shooting noise, related to the current flow.
Mechanical or vibration noise in physical components.
Environmental noise captured by microphones.

How the SNR influences sound quality

Now that you know what the SNR is and what are its main causes, I show you How directly influences the quality of the sound we hear. A good signal-fed relationship is essential for a high loyalty auditory experience.

In fact, it has a deep impact on other key aspects in the field of sound:

Clarity. A high SNR means that the audio signal, be it music or voice, clearly stands out on the background noise of the system. Therefore, the result is a cleaner and more detailed sound. A low SNR makes the noise more present and makes the sound feel less clear.
Noise soil. The signal-fed relationship is linked to the noise floor, which is the minimum sound level that a device can reproduce without the noise of the system being annoying. A high SNR implies a low noise floor.
Dynamic range. Likewise, a high SNR contributes to a higher effective dynamic range, allowing both very low and very high sounds to be clearly appreciated, without the former being lost below the background noise.

Finally, here is a timely reminder: it is useless to have an amplifier with an exceptional SNR if the audio source is of low quality, such as an MP3 file with a high compression. Nor if other system components, such as speakers or cables, have limitations in this regard. The audio device is Only one piece of a chain In which many other links participate. So, in addition to the signal-fed relationship, it is necessary Verify the quality they are capable of providing the rest of the elementsas well as the audio source used. As you can see, it is not something that you are going to look when buying a Bluetooth speaker, but when acquiring a high fidelity audio system.