Harmonic distortion inquiry


As much as I’ve searched and read on audio component distortion ratings, I’m unsuccessful finding one elusive answer. Does the THD of each individual component accumulate, or is the effect limited to the highest (noisiest) one component? Simple example question; if each device has .03% of THD for a phone pre-amp, pre-amp, and power amp, is the system distortion .09%? 
 

sdguyer87

THD is a ratio of voltages (harmonics to fundamental) so it can be expressed as dB. For 0.03% THD the distortion attenuation is:

dB = 20 Log [THD/100] or 20 Log [0.03/100] = -70.5

Now all you have to do is add the three devices (-70.5 * 3) and that comes out to -65.7 db. (You can easily google adding dB’s). To convert that to THD:

10^(-65.7/20)(100) = 0.05% THD

 

Ralph Karsten (Atmasphere), would be the person to either chime in or PM.

Bob

Since THD is calculated as root-sum-square of rms voltages of individual harmonics as a percentage of fundamental I wouldn't just add THDs of two devices.  Most likely it would be again root-sum-square of two (or three) THDs.