Dynamic headroom is a measure of how well an amplifier can handle transient peaks in a signal without clipping or distorting. It is typically expressed in decibels (dB) and represents the difference between the amplifier's continuous average power output and its maximum short-term peak power. A higher dynamic headroom means the power supply capacitors can deliver enough sudden current to reproduce loud, sudden sounds like a snare drum strike.
This receiver only pushes 50 watts continuous, but it has 3 dB of dynamic headroom for those heavy bass transients.
Also heard as
- headroom
Related terms
Headroom
The margin between the nominal operating level of a signal and the absolute maximum limit before clipping occurs.
Amplifier
A circuit or standalone device that increases the power, voltage, or current of an electrical signal.
Gain
A measure of a circuit's ability to increase the power or amplitude of a signal.