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Also called the volume range, dynamic range is the ratio of the maximum to minimum intensity of a sound source expressed in decibles. In other words, the difference between the highest and lowest sound levels a sound system reproduces; also the difference between the overload level (the highest possible output) and the noise floor (point where output is at a minimum - if output goes lower it is obscured by distortions or noise making it unusable).
Dynamic range is measured in decibels (dB) with a higher number being better. The higher the dynamic range the more a particular audio component can output undistorted sound from a low level to a high level. For example during a recording of the 3 hour session from Philadelphia orchestra, the maximum ratio observed was 74 dB. If one crash of a cymbal lasting 0.1 second was excluded, the dynamic range would drop to 65 dB. So if a system can do a 70dB dynamic range then we are likely to miss out nothing at all.
Think of dynamic range as the speed of a car, the more power the engine has (a better system) the faster the car can go (to a certain level). A car with a small engine would have low dynamic range - it could not move very quickly or powerfully. A car with a large engine (a superior system), however, could move quickly and powerfully having a high dynamic range. To reproduce loud, sudden sounds a system must have a good dynamic range. |
