Streamer opinion.. Pease comment on validity.

WRT the OP’s original request:

"Pease [sic] comment on validity"

... yes that commentary is all pretty much valid.

Keep the streamer part separate from the DAC discussion. Companies selling integrated streamer + DAC are doing just that: integrating two different functional components and related processing in one box. The streamer piece is an appliance (as stated in your referenced post) and it’s largely a commodity: getting data ’over the wire’ is a well-understood process, the data is digital, and the error correction at the receiving end is well-established and stable technology. "Audiophiling" the streamer is just the latest in the long-standing industry tendency to mystify and ’subjectivize’ a measurable process that ultimately has little to no measurable impact on the sonic result. For profit.

Profit is fine. It’s necessary for most businesses. Just don’t mislead or otherwise bullsh!t along the way.

The node 2 streamer is a mid fi device at best. I liked the Auralic Aries mini much better, but I only used that for background music. I’ve had the dedicated music servers in the past (Auralic Aries and the Auralic Aries mini using usb into an external dac. If I was going to use a computer or streamer in my audio room hooked up to the dac (I would never use either) then I would use either the I2S input. Instead of using USB, use a regular computer running Roon, and a dac using Ethernet.

“Audiophiling" the streamer is just the latest in the long-standing industry tendency to mystify and ’subjectivize’ a measurable process that ultimately has little to no measurable impact on the sonic result. For profit“

While I appreciate the alternate take, you have no earthly idea how a well designed ‘audio’ streamer can impact the overall sound of your system.

Playing the role of Luddite, I'm still holding at Windows Laptop plugged directly into Router and running Windows Remote Desktop from my tablet. 

On the plus side, I have access to all music sources, including YouTube and tracks/album links I stumble across when surfing the music press, or just clicking to JRiver or Qobus.  It just seems like the ultimate integration point for accessing the widest range of musical content.  Windows is my window to information.

On the negative side is that terrible e-noise in the Windows Laptop.  But how bad is it in terms of passing signal to a good DAC that's going to filter noise and reclock everything internally?

Don't get me wrong, if I get to actually experience the great improvement a dedicated streamer provides , and I like the User Interface, I'll buy a really good one.  But right now that would be blindly stepping out in faith...there's a lot of gizmos with stiff price tags but very low construction costs and in-progress software.

My main whine about trying to chart a path from laptop is that there's so much technical jargon and so little information on what the User Interface and User Experience will be. I just hear blurry things like "You will  be able to access a NAS disk"...but show me what that looks like on the screen. 

I'll probably come back from Axpona as a convert, but right now I'm in sonic bliss with my little Windows PC serving up a universe of music as directed by my tablet...and I can type comments into Radio Paradise feedback and check my Luddite AOL email at the same time 😊

Several people posting within this thread are skeptics.  That’s fine.  What I don’t understand is why someone wouldn’t actually try something to either prove or disprove their expectation.  Dealers are willing to demo.  Most dealers are also willing to let customers try in their own home.  An audition will reveal whether or not a streamer will outperform a laptop and provide a suitable or improved experience.

It’s fair to note that a streamer is a purpose built computer, stripped of all the extraneous devices that don’t serve that function - like video processing, running 3rd party software, etc.  Accordingly, they’re far more stable (don’t need updating every 5 minutes), don’t tend to crash, and don’t introduce the same levels of noise, etc.  

As stated previously - audition one and then state your findings - good or bad.  But those like usery above who state conclusively an opinion without any experience - are just missing out.  

Try one.  If you like it - buy it.  If you don’t - don’t buy it - and then tell us what you found.