A tool for calculate audio system noise

[Jazigo]

Hi everyone!

My Dunning-Kruger peak and my Ballmer peak overlapped this weekend, so I made a tool to convince myself that I don't need to buy a better DAC and AMP this Black Friday.

It is a tool which calculates audio system noise where I can adjust the digital, analog and amp gain to see which one contributes the most to get a higher SNR.

24 bit source:

16 bit source:

While the usefulness of this tool is over for me, I thought maybe someone else would be interested. I can convert this to a webassembly app and host it if anybody feel strongly for playing with such a tool.

 

[MacCali]

What tool is it? And how are you reaching this conclusion. Sorry I have to idea how to measure anything on my own or have the tools, trying to get a grasp on this information and see if it’s worth for me to get these results for my setup

 

[Jazigo]

This is a tool to visualize total system noise which in turn shows of the total signal to noise ratio.

For instance, I now that with my system I need to adjust -20db gain to get the correct volume at my listening position. I can either adjust the volume on my (E50) dac or on my (PA5II) amp to get there. This tool shows what give you the most SNR by changing each.

However, I also added a second system (D70Pro+Pre90+B100), which should be the best combination one can buy at the moment, but as you can see it does not matter for 16 bit content.

Fun fact: not shown in the pictures, but D70Pro+B100 (without Pre90) gives the best result.

The tool is based on the math discussed in this thread: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ds/how-to-calculate-audio-system-noise.33145/ and with conversations with @mdsimon2.

 

[Curvature]

You are making the calculation based on the SNR value from reviews?

The reserved number line on the X axis is confusing.

I think the most useful presentation would be if the data could incorporate analog values and show voltage at the DAC and preamp outputs (for the signal and residual noise, including the contribution of each component to total system noise), wattage at the amp output or signal SPL vs. noise SPL at a specified distance by incorporating sensitivity figures.

That's a lot of work, and takes it from an SNR calculator to something else entirely, so no problem if you don't have the inclination.

 

[Jazigo]

You are making the calculation based on the SNR value from reviews?

The reserved number line on the X axis is confusing.

I think the most useful presentation would be if the data could incorporate analog values and show voltage at the DAC and preamp outputs (for the signal and residual noise, including the contribution of each component to total system noise), wattage at the amp output or signal SPL vs. noise SPL at a specified distance by incorporating sensitivity figures.

That's a lot of work, and takes it from an SNR calculator to something else entirely, so no problem if you don't have the inclination.

Actually, it is based on the specifications published by Topping.

I agree, the x axis made sense early on, but became sort of redundant fast. I can easily change it to voltages and add wattage if you specify the speaker impedance. One thing I will add is to input the residual noise of each component (or the snr as seen on reviews here).