  In this work we argue that black hole area quantization of Bekenstein and
Mukhanov should not give rise to measurable effects in terms of so-called
gravitational wave echoes during black hole mergers. We outline that the
quantum spectrum of a black hole should be washed out during and after black
hole mergers, and hence one should not expect echoes in this scenario. The
extreme broadening of the spectrum is due to the large particle emission rate
during ringdown. Our results question key assumptions being made in recent
literature on this topic.
