What does "lower noise floor" actually mean

[botrytis]

https://www.nature.com/articles/34812

 

At least 2 decades old... Kal is right!

 

Wait - a reference from 1929

 

Debye, P. Polar Molecules (Dover, New York, 1929).

[botrytis]

17 minutes ago, klaus said:

I belong to the camp that is convinced sound floor has little to do with the usual noise numbers.

"Arthur Salvador'e describes THIS"SOUND FLOOR" Very good in his webpage. Look for things that happening in the background such as the audience in Friday night in San Francisco or Jazz at the Pawnshop. How MUCH HAVE YOU TO CRANK UP VOLUME  TO FOLLOW THE WORDS in the background and how deep can you hear in the back Of the room?

aAnalog has much more noise but can detail this much better.

 

Well, you like compression then....