>> the effective dynamic range of 16 bit audio reaches 120dB in practice [13], more than fifteen times deeper than the 96dB claim.

> 120dB is greater than the difference between a deserted 'soundproof' room and a sound loud enough to cause hearing damage in seconds.

> 16 bits is enough to store all we can hear, and will be enough forever.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't 16 bit = 120db about the levels of gradations of sound? Even a 4 bit = 16 levels of sound pressure/SPL could go from 20db, 20+12.5=32.5db, 32.5+12.5db and so on until 120db.

Then, the important question is what's the minimum SPL difference perceptable (at a given spl level). That may well not be 1db.