Wifi vs hardwired for streaming

@akg_ca I enjoy his channel, but he clearly is in a steep curve learning process between the first of his videos on this topic and the most recent one.

What audiophiles "hear" when they make changes is due to multiple interacting factors, and "debugging" for better audio quality is going to be more random than informed if you do not bother to understand the two realms: digital and analog voltages that convey the digital data.

The one wrinkle is how different streaming services implement their transmission. The basic question is do they use reliable error detecting/error correcting TCP-based protocols or do they use faster and less reliable and error allowing UDP-based protocols?

If the answer is UDP -- the little you do on your side of the ISPs router is but a fraction of the distance the data traveled... good luck fighting reality in that case! That service was designed to be spotty.

This post offers another approach.

@vicweast You make some good points (ie points I agree with! ) and some others.

"So, NONE of the network upgrades sold to audiophiles -the audio grade routers/switches blah blah expensive cables blah blah matter one tiny "bit".

On this I fundamentally disagree. And this asertion does not follow from your preceding statements about the the data always arriving as intended.

TRANSLATION: MONEY SPENT FOR MINIMAL (if any) GAIN. 

Disagreed.

FOCUS ON THE LAST PIECE OF CONNECTION THAT ENTERS THE FIRST ACTUAL "AUDIOGRADE" AUDIO DEVICE. 

Agreed, and this could be a fiber media converter or a switch.

Thus: put in a media converter at the last leg if you are using WIRED as it STRIPS all the noise to THAT point. (The converters are the next new challenge, but you are now 90 some odd percent to the goal -- and CLOSER than using silly "audio grade" network components, they are not helping at the end point, at least not in a cost effective manner."

Agreed as just one possible approach.

@zlone @lanx0003 Good posts.

@nigeltheflash well then that's entirely your choice, but I am absolutely certain about this for more reasons than I can go into beyond those I have listed.  My explanation was deliberately complete. 

I'm curious as to your technical or experience-based explanation for your opposing opinion...  If you just want fancy expensive stuff, hey it's your money.  If you have a technical explanation that counters mine: you owe me an explanation. If its just your opinion, you are free to not reply...  peace