What benefit does digital audio provide over analog audio in AV systems?

Digital audio provides several advantages over analog audio in AV systems, one of which is its reduced susceptibility to signal degradation. Unlike analog signals, which are continuous waveforms and can be affected by various forms of interference, electronic noise, and signal loss over distances, digital audio represents sound as discrete samples. This means that the integrity of the audio signal is maintained much more effectively, even when transmitted over long distances or through challenging environments.

When an analog signal degrades, the quality declines in a way that can introduce noise and distortion, ultimately affecting the listening experience. In contrast, if a digital audio signal experiences degradation, it may still be fully recoverable, thanks to error correction methods and the innate resilience of the digital format. Therefore, digital audio systems can deliver cleaner, clearer sound with minimized interference, making it a preferred choice in modern AV setups for maintaining high-quality audio output.