# The proper definition of "headroom" and other amp related buzz words



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

We hear these terms all the time and I am sure there are many out there (including myself) that wonder what they mean. When we discuss amps and specifically speakers, the term headroom, low end, mid range etc all come into play. Is there a difinitve explanation for these terms for the less educated?


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## Guest (Mar 12, 2010)

Head room has, always will be, for me the range in amplitude for a signal, between nominal and peek, before the signal starts to distort. It's the space in your amplifier's signal handling capabilities where a transient can occur and _not_ get clipped.

For low end, midrange, high end I use the freqeuncy reference chart:

Interactive Frequency Chart - Independent Recording Network

Bass is 60 - 250 Hz
Midrange is 250 - 2kHz
High Midrande is 2kHz - 4kHz
High is 6kHz - 20kHz

I also reference that chart to turn adjectives into frequency bands for EQ'ing and discussion and so on. "Air" >6kHz for example. Cut here and you get a duller sound, boost and you a brighter, more open sound.

I have owned, for years now, a copy of that chart in poster format that hangs out near my desk at home. It's reproduction of an old, hand drawn, version of that page from, IIRC, The Juliaird in NYC. Or maybe it was the Metropolitan Opera. Indispensable. And the web page takes it to a whole new level.


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## bcmatt (Aug 25, 2007)

iaresee's definition is awesome. I am bookmarking that chart that he linked to.

I super simple definition of headroom that most guitarists will understand even if they are just starting would be:

"How loud my amp can play while staying clean with no distortion" is how much headroom it has.


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