"Chris Hornbeck" wrote in
message
On Thu, 25 May 2006 09:18:10 +0100, Anahata
wrote:

The interesting bit lies
in the dither: information storage is actually increased
by adding noise

Prompted by the universal rule that you can't get
something for nothing, I have to doubt this. I think
the answer is that dither gets you more resolution at
low frequencies but less at high frequencies.

It just so happens that's acoustically desirable because
it changes the quantization noise from something
signal-related to a constant white noise that is aurally
less distracting at the same level.

You and all subsequent posters understand the technique
perfectly, but until corrected I'll have to stand by my
assertion that dither allows us to hear (because of
critical bands) below the noise floor, just like in
analog recording.

Below noise-floor hearing also happens in quantized systems without dither.
It just sounds nastier.