Can you imagine a world without vinyl?

Thanks, Raul. My post was unclear.

Rauliruegas...I don't know why you CAN'T have more than 24 bits in a word...the missile guidance computer I used to work with used 32 bit words and much of the data and calculations were "double precision" 64 bit words. But as you say, HOW you use the bits is most important. Our music is "fixed point" data. When you play a quiet section of music through 24 bit digital converters you are actually only using perhaps 8 to 10 of the lowest bits. Not that great resolution. I have recently discovered the importance of keeping the analog signal up before the A/D of my Behringer DEQ2496 equalizer, although this requires me to attenuate the output going to my power amps. A better way to use the available bits, whether 16 or 24, would be "floating point". (A few bits are used to indicate the scaling of the remaining bits of data). This format provides the best resolution for signals of all amplitudes. In the DEQ2496 after the A/D input , a 32 bit floating point digital signal processing (DSP) module performs the equalization and other functions, so we know it can be done. Now we need a disc (or other digital media) that employs floating point.

I thought that, when it comes to digital audio, there's only so much bit-depth, or S/N ratio, that can pertain in any case, due to the limits of both the noise floor of all the analog parts of the record/playback chain (including the listening room), as well as of human hearing. But maybe what Raul was talking about was simply the limits of currently employed standards for mastering gear.

Zaikesman...There is no rule to the effect that the least significant bit (LSB) be equal to the analog noise level. Usually the LSB is smaller, so that several of the lowest bits toggle on and off due to noise. One might define the noise floor as the voltage corresponding to the bit which never changes unless there is a deliberate signal. The range from zero up to the maximum signal level can be divided up into as many steps as you like (within technology constraints).

Dear Eldartford: In the digital domain we can work almost at any bit level: 32/64/128/etc/etc, there is nothing that can stop about, the problem is in the analog domain where we have a serious limitations, example: a resolution of true 24 bits needs a dynamic range of 144db and 32bits a dynamic range of 192db: there is no single digital player and analog preamp that could achieve that kind of dynamic range.

The best today preamps ( I don't know any digital player ) has around 125-130db on dynamic range ( btw, the Essential 3150 has 131db. ), this means 20 to 22 bits. So, it is almost imposible to achieve 24 bits on analog: yes, the analog domain is the whole problem, dynamic range and noise.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.