Better DAC or better Streamer

@mikhailark Chord DAC/Mscaler stack expects a digital signal it can understand. There’s no built in network renderer. 
The streaming gizmo OP is using processes the data it received via Ethernet, converts it to the format a DAC would understand according to its specified bit rate and the rest happens inside the DAC. 
Depends on the type of interface used between the streamer and DAC, the data will either be clocked by the streamer (spdif out) or by the DAC (USB). and that’s just part of the processing chain.
If you believe there’s no jitter anywhere in that interface you should probably not provide anymore thoughts on the subject until you do your research. 
 

So…in the digital source setup everything matters starting from the Ethernet cable that feeds your streamer, to the rendering and processing to analog stage and output.

While you’re right that the DAC will bring an improvement, a better streamer would too. There is a different degree of improvement but it’s an improvement nonetheless. 

@audphile1 - again, you keep talking about connection to DAC. A separate peripheral interface. I am asking about the streamer itself. Modern DAC USB is no different from USB hard drive, it is 100% reliable with no bits lost anywhere. Receiving data over USB is identical to hard drive, printer or any other peripheral. The data is buffered and clocked later, memory is cheap. This renders all streamers identical. Similarly, there is no difference between routers, Ethernet or USB cables as long as they are properly shielded.

I do not need explanation of electronics or computers. If anyone is still using SPDIF, well, it is their problem.

@mikhailark I see. Best of luck to you. 

I’d love to continue the discussion, but I’d much rather listen to wonderful sounding music through my jitter minimized and noise diminished streamer.

@mclinnguy you and I both