What is analog-to-digital conversion, and how is it used in sound reproduction?

Question: Explain the process of converting an analog audio signal into a digital signal for sound reproduction. Answer: The process of converting an analog audio signal into a digital signal involves several steps: 1. Understanding the difference between analog and digital signals, where analog signals represent continuous waveforms and digital signals represent discrete values. 2. Sampling the analog signal at regular intervals (sampling rate) to obtain instantaneous amplitude values. 3. Quantization, where each sampled amplitude is mapped to a discrete numerical value within a specified range. 4. Encoding these numerical values into binary code for digital representation. 5. Processing and storing the digital signal for further manipulation or playback. 6. When needed, using a digital-to-analog converter to transform the digital signal back to an analog signal, which is then amplified and sent to a speaker or headphones for listening.