bits is bits

Assuming streams we receive from various streaming providers are identical I agree bits are bits. I very much doubt these services altering data packages they receive from record companies. By the way, Tidal no longer using MQA, now FLAC files. 

I don't use Tidal or Qobuz music players on my main system, both integrated into my Roon library, I can detect absolutely no difference between Tidal or Qobuz streams, and over 3k cd rips for that matter, any differences due to provenance of recording. I posit music player apps such as Roon, Audirvana or proprietary are where the variability in sound quality found, and this sound quality variability due to our streaming equipment. Generally you'll find Roon and Audirvana app more complex interfaces require greater processor resources vs the proprietary apps. 

@jeffbij thank you for all the details.

I admit, this is what I thought: the streamer sends "data" to the DAC. Its job is to receive data and pass it to the DAC. It's not changing stuff, validating stuff other than 01101 is 01101. Are you saying it varies? 

I understand music files vary but that won't give the streamer extra tasks.

I can go down the list that happened here 100s of time: a word, a word doc, an image, are all the same at the sender and receiver, there is no noise.  How is data for music different? Maybe I should learn about music files.

I understand the CD has "data" and sends it to the DAC, that data is always the same, is streaming data not the same unless the transmission fails? 

This is a great discussion. Same reasons many computers are faster and have better processing of the 1 and 0. It must be in the hardware and software combined. Enjoy the experiments and the music.

I have both Tidal and Qobuz and in my experience there is not a consistent SQ advantage of one or the other.  For the same indicated resolution, some tracks sound better on Tidal and others better on Qobuz.  In some cases, CD quality sounds better that "hi res" versions.  This might point to earlier comments that the master quality/version for the uploads may be cause of any difference that exists?  Clearly the streamer/DAC quality and the downstream system make a difference but that was not the OP's question.

Sure, the data may be all the same but how the hardware and software handle that data before passing it on to the DAC may differ.  Same with DACs, the digital part may all be the same but the analog conversion may differ.  Saying "bits is bits" is just a cope.