bits is bits

@parkergetdean 

ok so a bad streamer would be bad at sending data consistently to the DAC?

... Yes... although I would use the words "bad streamer". Typically you get what you pay for.  A $90 WiiM Mini is a quality product if you are judging it based on what it costs.  Just like a $2000 streamer typically will meet expectations in that price category.  It is all relative.

- Noise mitigation (will let you hear more)

- Enhancements (higher end streamers/rendering devices tend to do some dsp enhancements to for some common audiophile attributes, make it more 3D, etc...aka streamers may not be purist devices)

- can be a better asio driver

Etc

The streamer itself doesn't or shouldn't alter bit packages via all the enhancements listed above, therefore, volume leveling, dsp etc. Those enhancements are found in the software and one can choose to disable them. Streamers differ in their ability to minimize RFI/EMI, provide stable and precise clocking and quality of their interfaces, meaning USB, I2S, etc. Beyond the components/parts used, proprietary operating systems, music player apps are just a couple of the measures taken in order to further sound quality beyond what a general service computer can provide. The impact of streamers in providing highest level of sound shouldn't be minimized, they act much like preamp/line stages in the audio system in that they are like the heart of the system, digital data requires care, this is stage where bits are no longer simply bits. What's good enough for general service needs isn't good enough for streaming audio at levels to compete with  all analog sources. Getting continuous and accurate wave forms from digital isn't that simple.

How is a digital bit represented. It is done via an analog electrical signal.

A very simple test to see if there is a difference in digital sources is to get a $20 fibre optic cable and hook it up to directly or most likely indirectly via a RJ45 to fibre converter. Cost of something like that can be $40+. I have 3 of them from $40 to $150 but mine also function as network switches.

If your system is resolving enough (and also your ears) I would bet that you will hear a difference. The reason being that whatever analog noise BEFORE the DAC gets filtered out by the glass fibre cable. Glass cannot carry this analog noise.

My latest convert was someone with a great MBL system costing around $200k. He put a $20 fibre cable into his ROSE streamer and bang, loved the improvement.

My suggestion for anyone to try this is to get a used Sonore OpticalRendu ($800) and a $40 network switch. Or if you have some spare cash, the Lumin U2x streamer which has direct fibre input. I use ROON for the OpticalRendu.

BTW - my digital sources BEFORE the DAC and the fibre is very noisy and cheap. I have them far away from my audio gear in another room. 

Current IT guy, with decades of data center experience. 

We never worried about noise, EFI/EMI on any switches, anyone who is has been in a DC looked at how racks are cabled would loose their mind. We loop up loose cables, power and signal is not always separated. Wires are tied tougher. Lots of equipment stacked on top of each other. 

It's totally amazing that anything works at all (sarcasm). Think all of us professional IT people don't have a clue what we are doing, apparently nothing is being supplied properly to the end user. Wish all these $200,000 servers, switches, storage arrays had some linear power supplies. We got to do something about all these noisy fans, can we just turn them off? 

Can't believe I was able to run a 4k video editing suite with all this poor setup. How did it even work? 

Hi-Rez stream takes about 2mb of bandwidth. Almost all of have at least 100mb. Streaming is using up about 2% of your bandwidth. Speed is not an issue. 

Noise, the cheaper the component, usually the less EMI blocking it will have. Never in my IT career has EMI caused any transfer issues. If your streamer is transferring all this "noise" then you have a poorly made streamer. 

Jitter, any network guy knows this is a real issue, but usually there are reasons for it. Very different from clock jitter. 

I have noticed that different streaming services sound different. Spotify for instance likes to boost bass. Qobuz/Tidal are about the same, don't notice anything specific across the range. Apple, can sound dry, compressed. Never used Amazon. 

Same goes for movie streaming platforms, think Apple does the best with picture/sound, then HBO. Amazon is ok, but they boost the sound, picture can have artifacts. Netflix is neutral, Precook/Paramount are the worst.

Proper setup, good quality certified lan cables, should be enough unless you are trying to get the last 2% out of your music. Yeah, almost none of the analog tweaks will do anything for digital. It just doesn't work that way. 

the general tenets of networking...

Optical is usually best.

Few hops as possible. 

shortest cables should be used

fewest conversions possible 

Of course proper network setup.