Sound quality differences in streamers

Streamers vary greatly in the amount of noise generated from within, noise is the enemy of resolution/transparency. In researching and comparing streamers you'll find much difference in the lengths some makers go to lesson noise. Every single component on motherboard can contribute to a lower noise floor. Proprietary operating systems and linear power supplies also contribute greatly to lower noise floors. Streamers set the resolution/transparency floor for the entire streaming chain, extremely important component, perhaps the most important component in the entire chain.

I heard a significant increase in clarity when I switched from a Roon Nucleus to a Grimm MU-1.  I thought the upgrade was well worth it.  So yes, there is a difference.

First of all, it’s dCS, not dSC, and to my knowledge, their least expensive model starts at around $22,000.

Personally, I don’t own (but have auditioned) any streamer over $1,000. That said, I believe you can clearly hear the difference between a Wiim and a truly high-end streamer—at least in terms of pricing. This belief comes from the ability to easily distinguish differences among sub-$1,000 streamer/DAC units out of my humble system. The real question is: where does the point of diminishing returns begin?

Price doesn’t play the music. For example, my $399 Cambridge Audio MXN100 sounds noticeably better than (1) the $330 Wiim Ultra (with Smsl ddc), (2) the $399 iFi ZS, and even significantly better than the $850 Eversolo A6. All were tested using their internal streaming sections, the same external DAC, and low-noise power supplies. The sonic differences are apparent and, in my opinion, may mostly come down to two specs, including (1) jitter noise and (2) electrical noise, that one needs to watch over in selecting the gear.

Finally, I encourage you to treat your room acoustics, optimize speaker placement, carefully select cables based on specifications (not ad-hoc recommendations), be mindful of system synergy, and train your ears to better reveal those differences.

I have the HiFi Rose RS130 Streamer. The sound quality is amazing. Software can be a bit wonky sometimes. Ive got it connected to a Luxman DX-07 SACD/DAC. It sounds amazing. Super quiet and very enjoyable. Good provisions for storing and ripping CDs other music files. 

As an aside anyone else sick and tired of Audiogon login system? Login/Password recaptcha then 2ndary identification via login code. This isnt classified information WTH is wrong with this forum. 

I will say 100% there is a difference! I have had a few and finally settled on a small green computer/Lumin setup. That is what I liked best. Not saying this is the end all, but I could tell very NON-Suttle differences between streamers. This was what I liked and just stayed with it. I found what I liked and stopped spending anymore on it.