Which audio characteristic is most impacted by increasing the bit depth in digital sound?

Increasing the bit depth in digital sound primarily affects the dynamic range of the audio signal. Dynamic range refers to the difference between the quietest and loudest parts of the sound that can be captured or played back without distortion.

When you increase the bit depth, you expand the number of possible amplitude levels that can be represented in the digital recording process. For instance, a higher bit depth allows for more precise representation of the audio waveform, leading to a more accurate reproduction of subtle variations in volume. This means that the system can effectively capture softer sounds without them being masked by noise and can also reproduce louder sounds without clipping or distortions that might occur at lower bit depths.

Clarity, while also improved with increased bit depth, is more related to other factors such as sampling rate and the overall quality of the recording and playback equipment. Frequency range remains unaffected by bit depth; it is determined by the sample rate used during digitization. Therefore, while other audio characteristics may see improvement from changes in bit depth, the most significant impact is clearly on dynamic range.