Ethernet

My connection from server to DAC is about 25 feet, and runs past or along mains power cables, speaker cables, and interconnects. I was never able to get better sound from copper than from WiFi. 
Saying that better cable will be better than WiFi is nonsense. It all depends on your set up.

I finally got the best sound using fiber ethernet. I started with using convertors at either end, and wound up with an Optical Rendu connected directly to an optical out on my server.

@maprik there are a number of discussions on these forums and elsewhere on the internet about differences in streamers. There are various factors that influence some of the differences. You can search and read up on it. Or you can use chatgpt or gemini or grok and you’ll get a nice summary based on what these models were trained on (data from online forums, eyc.)

DDC is not a cure all. These vary in quality based in design. One of the key differences is the clock that’s used internally. With DDC, however, you introduce additional cables and potentially additional source of noise - EMI, digital and AC, that needs to be dealt with by the DDC, DAC and other components plugged into the same circuit.

Add to that the i2s connection that’s never been designed for connecting external components and has no industry standard when it comes to pin configuration. 

Back to your 25ft run of Ethernet cable - you are adding a source of noise that your Node, DDC and DAC will need to deal with. Like I said try it. 
I’ll be on a lookout for your next discussion about LAN isolation, Ethernet filters and fiber optic conversion. Good luck!

@maprik, many of us, self included, started with a Node.  A better Streamer sounds better.  Generally, better components sound better.  Truth is in the listening, not asking why and denying.  Why do different amps sound better?  Why do different Speakers sound better?  Lots of reasons, but they do.

@hjdca 

"5 volt Linear power supply to the eero mesh node connected to your streamer"

My understanidn after testing and speaking with Eero tech support that a 5 Volt LPS will not work with any Eero router. It works for a while then stops working. Question. You are able to use a LPS with a Eero router? Is the LPS USB C ? Thanks Perhaps I am not uderstanidn your set up...

Reading posts on this forum I am coming to the conclusion that digital component design is rife with poor engineering decisions.

About 10^20 bytes of data are moved thousands of miles over the internet, error free (after  error correction).

The process of converting the digital representation of our music to analog should not depend on the last few feet of Cat5/6/7/8 cable or the RJ45 connector.

The engineering problem is to present 16/24 bit words (or bits for DSD) to the DAC chip with the correct timing, and to suppress and EMI, RFI or other noise to prevent its reaching the audio circuitry.  Opto-isolators (e.g.) can operate a 10MHz or better (even 150MHz) and a Schmitt trigger can clean up a pretty ragged wave into a clean edged waveform.  Buffers can store the data and OCXO parts with femto-second jitter levels are available off the shelf to strobe the data into the DAC's chip(s).

I am not suggesting that this is trivial to implement but I believe that Esoteric have come, if not to perfection, so close, that the front end components have little if any effect on sound quality when using async USB.

I am not denying that changes to front end stuff (switches, cables etc.) can affect SQ, I am saying that DACs should (and in my experience can) be engineered to be essentially insensitive to noise and jitter. 

I think a similar argument applies to power cords.

Interconnects and speaker cables, carrying audio signals are a different story and do affect SQ obviously.