Get yourself as good an optical streamer as budget can support from Sonore. Don’t get sucked into the trap of spending more than you need on a quality streamer. Their most expensive option is 5k US. Then get a great DAC like the Mola Mola Tambaqui and of COURSE preamps matter - maybe more than anything else in the chain. I have their Makua preamp and a Cerious Technolgies Lumniscate power cord. Lure Class A Krell power amp. Pure bliss.
Are higher end preamps worth the investment when you are only streaming Tidal & Spotify ?
Amp: Modwright 150SE
Speakers: Aerial Acoustics 7T
Streamer/DAC/ : NAD C658
With the goal of achieving higher fidelity, would a 10k -12k MSRP preamplifier be overkill when you only stream from Tidal or Spotify? Do higher end preamplifier applications mostly apply to vinyl and /or high end transports vs subscription streaming?