Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Audio myths

Riffman and Misfit_Toy,

You are quite correct and it does not make any difference, at least in the comparisons I've done with colleagues, some in studios with similar sets of golden ears doing the listening. In theory, each bit will deliver 6 dB of dynamic range, hence CD theoretically has a potential dynamic range of 96 dB (6 dB x 16 bits) and a 24-bit system (6 x 24), a dynamic range of 144 dB.

In practice, however, this is seldom realized because of thermal noise generated by the transistors and circuitry. Moreover, even the CD's dynamic range is often too great for domestic environments. With ambient house noise (furnace fans, refridgerators) typically running around 40 dB, the theoretical dynamic peaks become unlistenably loud in the relatively small rooms in which most of us reside.

Still, it's kind of nice to know that DVD-Audio and SACD could realistically reproduce the entire dynamic range of human hearing, even well past the threshold of pain--the latter usually deemed to be in the 130 dB SPL to 140 dB SPL region. This assumes you would be listening in quiet woods where the sound of a gentle breeze rustling the leaves rings in at about 15 or 20 dB SPL. (No wonder the sonic booms of supersonic fighters tested over uninhabited areas of Northern Quebec and Labrador freak out the elk and reindeer!)

Regards,

Alan - thanks!

In reply to:

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(No wonder the sonic booms of supersonic fighters tested over uninhabited areas of Northern Quebec and Labrador freak out the elk and reindeer!)

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And here I thought it was Ian's tests of the new subs!

I didn't think Canada had supersonic jets.

As far as I know, most fighters these days are supersonic. After all, if the new Airbus plane can do .89 Mach, shouldn't be hard for fighters to get up to at least Mach 1.5. Of course, I'm just speculating.

the Canuck Air Force actually has numerous CF-18s, which are essentially rebadged F-18s. However, due to our embarrassingly underfunded military, a lot of the operational equipment used on the CF-18s are long outdated. That's part of the reason Canada has been unable to participate with the US in some recent military operations - the equipment is outdated and in some respects, considered unsafe to match the older CF-18s with the upgraded American jets/equipment.

Spiff:

Yep, we buy 'em from the US! Not like those used subs we recently purchased from the Brits (one just sank in the Atlantic and there was one fatality).

Alan

Last I knew Canada had the 4th or 5th largest, most powerful airforce in the world. So like they can really take off 'eh! :-)

jr

I was kidding guys! geesh!

oh i think we knew Craig, it's just there is some level of truth to that comment - whether you realized it or not!