bits is bits

I’m a retired IT guy as well. The bits are bits… it’s what comes with the bits that matters. Qobuz sounds the best… by a small amount… but it is the streamer which receives and isolates and times the bits that then go to the DAC which translates and sets the tonal balance that completely transform the sound quality. Which is why I own a $22K streamer and a $17K DAC that sound incredible. I’ve experienced… PCs, MACs, iPads, cheap streamers and mid tier stuff up to what i have now which step by step improved the sound to true high fidelity. You can see my systems under my user ID. 
 

All theoretical questions are quick;t dismissed by listening.

How do identical tracks sound different? One from Tidal one from Qobuz and one from Amazon Music. If the tracks are identical they will all be the same.

Clearly bits are not bits and some bits sound like chit. Agree with @ghdprentice that Qobuz sounds better than what is currently available. 

Same goes for audiophile ethernet switches and cables... but hey, if you think your pizza tastes better when delivered in a limo, I say: enjoy.

It’s one thing for the digital masters start out as the same ’bits’ upstream at the head end.  It’s another thing for how those ’bits’ are reproduced downstream at the playback end.  There’s theory.  And then there’s application.   Here are some discussions from the Audiogon archives.