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Originally Posted by Kiwiburger The louder the signal, the better the resolution - right up to the point where clipping takes place. |
This is the 'picture way' of thinking digital. Say, a 600x600 pixel image, with a bright spot in the middle and a gradient towards black on all sides. The gradient will be smoother the more available colors there is. Having a higher bit depth does improve resolution within the image, as the range of available colors grows with bit depth.
Digital audio doesn't work like that. Changing audio bit depth is the same as adding pixels to the border of the image. Doubling the bit depth would be the same as making the picture 1200x1200 pixels, with the same old gradient still occupying 600x600 pixels in the middle. Making the surrounding area bigger will not not make the gradient itself smoother. It'll only enlarge the black area around it.
Sample rate sets the available frequencies, bit depth sets the noise floor. Resolution doesn't enter the equation(see 'q for Paul Frindle' thread).
Andreas