preamp so many hz

[zinktrumpet]

Hello everyone
This is my first post, although I've been on this site many times reading the forums, I've learned a lot from them.
Makers of pre amps take great pride in the frequency range of there products, some I've seen range from 20hz to over 100khz, this high frequency is way above human hearing level. I understand that these unhearable high frequencies have an influence on the fundamental harmonic within the human hearing range, I can go with that. But then the microphone that's plugged into it, at best has a frequency range of 20hz to 20khz.
So what's the point that I`m missing here???????

 

[Massive Master]

Think of it as "frequency headroom." Just because you might not particularly "hear" the sound up that high, doesn't mean they don't want you to know that the gear can handle it that high.

 

[zinktrumpet]

Mmmmmm! frequency headroom!!!!
Big thanks massive, maybe thats all there is to it!!!

 

[mattamatta]

www.shrinking-pants.com

Anothing thing is that frequency response can often be somewhat of an indicator as to potential deficiencies in other parts of the device.

For example, a device that can handle a up to a higher frequency just fine is likely a solid design and will perform well in the audible frequency range, whereas if a device can't handle frequencies in the higher end of the range, it most likely is lacking in some respect of the design that causes this limitation.


Of course this doesn't neccessarily mean that anything with a poor (or lesser) frequency response has other problems (especially depending on what it's supposed to do.... a preamp that's supposed to be crystal clear and a preamp that's supposed to saturate a transformer would have far different ideal characteristics).

But if you have a preamp that's intended to be crystal clear, for example, something that can reproduce up to a very high frequency more likely has a fast enough slew rate to handle whatever transients and quick changes come across it than a device listed as only 20-20k or less.

The fact that something can go up to 100kHz just says something positive about the probable quality of the device, and is worth noting.

 

[zinktrumpet]

Nice post,mattamatta, thank you. Things are becoming clearer.