bits is bits

@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.

I had both Tidal and Qobuz and after spending some time comparing, A/B, the two in my audio system, I ended up cancelling my subscription with Tidal, simply because I preferred the "OVERALL" sound characteristics of Qobuz over Tidal.  Some may prefer Tidal over Qobuz, which is solely a matter of preference.  Similar to digital  coming from different CD players (different DACs/sources), digital coming from different streaming services sound different from each other simply because they come from different sources, which effects their sound.  In some cases, the differences may be ever so slight, but yet different. The differences I heard in my audio system were not just a figment of my imagination.  I have over 30 years of experience as an audiophile, and I am fully capable or hearing the most minute differences in sound in my audio system.  There's a reason why so many experienced audiophiles are constantly pointing out how they all can hear differences in sound quality from one streaming service to another.  No, it's not just their imaginations either.  Happy listening