Headroom is the safety zone in an analog circuit, typically an amplifier, that accommodates sudden transient peaks without distorting the signal. It is measured in decibels above the standard operating level. Insufficient headroom causes the tops of waveforms to flatten against the voltage rails, generating unwanted harmonics and harsh clipping.
Heard on the job
We need at least 12 dB of headroom on the input stage to handle those snare transients without clipping the op-amp.
Also heard as
- dynamic headroom