What's the difference between a 16 bit and a 24 bit D/A converter? I was looking at the Pioneer deh-p7700mp but was a bit worried that it only had a 16-bit DAC. Does this affect the sound all that much?
16 bit is ideal for the best audio reproduction, however, due to error in the converter, it might not be true 16 bit conversion. In effect, it might actually be 14 or 15 bit quality.
With the 24 bit converter, you'll still receive error, but it's almost guaranteed to be above the 16 bit mark-though it is overkill for some people as the difference between 16 and 24 bit conversion isn't extremely audible.