PCM vs AAC - when does it really matter?

Hello

I am two-thirds of the way through a project to export 50 uncompressed talking head interviews. Each interview is approximately 3 hours long, so I am able to export about 2-3 projects per day. These are going to serve as the uncompressed masters that are preserved for the long haul. The audio is very simple, and not fantastic to begin with -- recorded with lavalier mics hooked up to a Canon HD camera.

Unfortunately, today I discovered a mistake in the export settings: my audio for the Quick Time Conversion has been set to AAC, and not PCM. For the most part, the material will be viewed online, but a small amount of it might eventually be broadcast.

After doing a few test exports, it seems that the PCM setting produces a file that is about 10-12% larger than the one with an AAC setting. To the "naked ear," there's no perceptible difference that I can tell. Should I be able to tell the difference, or would something like this be apparent only if heard through a professional sound system? If the latter, then re-exporting will be necessary without question.

If I re-export everything, this will set the project back by 2 weeks. Plus it will mean couriering the four 2TB external hard-drives (which are full of the completed exports) back from the preservationist who is across the country. It will be a major blow to the project timeline, but if it has to be done, then it has to be done.

Should I explain the situation and re-export, or will the increased quality in sound be so imperceptible that it wouldn't be worth it?

I'm a detail-oriented person, and this is making me sick with worry.

Thanks