Richard,
Regarding the creation of digital preservation files from a 16-bit source, I'm not sure that I would agree with using the converters of the machines you own to create analog copies. The members of the NARAS P&E Wing Committee were pretty clear in their agreement that digital transfers of source material to analog tape created subjective differences from the digital original (as opposed to the other way). I would dare say that if you get a good error-free playback of the digital output, you can make better archival preservation files to use through better converters down the road. Analog copies WILL sound different.