How to best explain dB to non-audio experts?

[Koeitje]

Lets say you have a DAC where the jitter is at -130dB or lower. How you would explain to somebody who is not familiar with audio how good that is? I feel this is something that could be communicated in a better way.

 

[spacevector]

Amirm did a video on this. See if this fits the bill:

 

[abdo123]

I think you're better off explaining the logarithmic scale or exponential growth first and then say dB is a logarithmic unit.

The majority of people are only aware of linear growth/scale.

 

[Koeitje]

Amirm did a video on this. See if this fits the bill:

I watched this a while back, but I think you need a good analogy to explain it better. Also nobody is going to watch a 10 minute video if you state "look this DAC has jitter at -130dB, watch this 10 minute video to know how good that is".

I think you're better off explaining the logarithmic scale or exponential growth first and then say dB is a logarithmic unit.

The majority of people are only aware of linear growth/scale.

Yes, this is part of it. You think saying for example its like hearing a pin drop next to an jetfighter during take-off would be a good way?

 

[pma]

Lets say you have a DAC where the jitter is at -130dB or lower. How you would explain to somebody who is not familiar with audio how good that is?

In my opinion videos are good to teach how to exchange the car tyre but not too good to explain audio terms. One does not want to wait one hour every time for a simple explanation. Time consuming and time is precious, time is as well money.

from: http://www.audiophilleo.com/zh_hk/docs/Dunn-AP-tn23.pdf

 

[abdo123]

Yes, this is part of it. You think saying for example its like hearing a pin drop next to an jetfighter during take-off would be a good way?

no that's dynamic range.

show them this graph instead

 

[DonH56]

Courtesy of @RayDunzl : https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/the-shoutometer.2555/

 

[Koeitje]

In my opinion videos are good to teach how to exchange the car tyre but not too good to explain audio terms. One does not want to wait one hour every time for a simple explanation. Time consuming and time is precious, time is as well money.

View attachment 135814

from: http://www.audiophilleo.com/zh_hk/docs/Dunn-AP-tn23.pdf

I agree with the video remark, but I also think what you linked isn't the solution. It doesn't give any type of reference to something non-audio people would understand. How would you explain the above graph to your mom?

no that's dynamic range.

show them this graph instead

Your graph, seems to be missing.

Also dynamic range is also a ratio, like everything in dB....or am I mistaken here? Trying to explain difference in magnitude between the signal and what shouldn't be there.

 

[abdo123]

Sorry.


https://waitbutwhy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/gif

 

[Koeitje]

Sorry.


https://waitbutwhy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/gif

Also doesn't seem to work, just get a page of symbols

 

[pma]

I also think what you linked isn't the solution. It doesn't give any type of reference to something non-audio people would understand. How would you explain the above graph to your mom?

Please read the linked Julian Dunn's article for AP. It cannot be explained in a more simple way. There are things that cannot be explained to my mom, unless she learns something of the subject. Then she may become a partner to an explanation.
The linked article perfectly shows the relation between jitter (in dB) and representation in time (as ns for example). It makes no sense to re-write or copy/paste the content. You are even willing to learn or not. Please read Page 9 and Page 10 of the document.

Side note, people are becoming more and more lazy.

 

[MarkS]

Lets say you have a DAC where the jitter is at -130dB or lower. How you would explain to somebody who is not familiar with audio how good that is?

You shouldn't try, because it would not be true. That DAC is sonically indistinguishable from any other properly functioning one.

Don't promote audiophoolery.

 

[abdo123]

 

[digitalfrost]

I am 2m tall. My brother is 20m tall. How much taller is my brother than me?

 

[gsp1971]

You can say that dB is unit that measures loudness, that it is logarithmic, and that for every 10dB increase we perceive the sound as 'twice as loud'.

 

[Wes]

I think you're better off explaining the logarithmic scale or exponential growth first and then say dB is a logarithmic unit.

The majority of people are only aware of linear growth/scale.

Yes. And reference exponential growth of covid infections to give them something to chew on...

 

[pma]

He asked specifically about jitter and then the simple ratio explanations do not help. One needs to understand what the jitter is before asking.

 

[Blumlein 88]

I think you're better off explaining the logarithmic scale or exponential growth first and then say dB is a logarithmic unit.

The majority of people are only aware of linear growth/scale.

This is the right approach. First off db is a ratio, and if you can get across the idea of a log scale and that db is a ratio on the log scale you'll have it.

In the case of 130 db, that represents a ratio of more than 3 million to one. If full scale is 2 volts then the -130 db value is about .63 millionths of a volt.

 

[Blumlein 88]

He asked specifically about jitter and then the simple ratio explanations do not help. One needs to understand what the jitter is before asking.

I think his prime purpose wasn't so much jitter as it was to convey the idea how small -130 db is vs full scale.

 

[egellings]

Maybe a way to explain the dB is to bring up the idea of designing a scale with conveniently-sized numbers that represents a huge unwieldy range of number sizes. Bring up the idea of a compressor of sorts.