The dynamic range is a measure in dB of the loudness range over which a microphone is useful. The minimum signal represents what the microphone can distinguish from residual noise, while the maximum signal is how high the microphone can perform without distortion. A larger dynamic range number is better, so a dynamic range of 95 dB is better than 63 dB. The maximum signal of the dynamic range can also be referred to as the acoustic overload point (AOP). This is the sound level where distortion rises rapidly and is typically capped at a distortion level of 10%.