Wifi vs hardwired for streaming

Great post @vicweast ! 

@nigeltheflash 

T8 has SFP, why don't you use fiber optic. No RFI nor EMI.

I do all wired, and shut off all wifi as it relates to the audio equipment. The only place wifi comes into play is with my Ipad and the network to control ROON or Qobuz connect.

@larseand 

I have the T8 in my "big rig" connected to an Esoteric K-01XDSE, and I use WiFi as I am about 80ft from the switch, in part of the house with no Ethernet.

Using a cable would allow you to turn off the WiFi interface and, I guess, that could improve SQ if the Eversolo engineers slipped up.  I very much doubt whether you would hear any difference.  If you are in an electrically active environment "noise" picked up by the ethernet cable might make it worse than WiFi - which provides total galvanic isolation.

If your DAC has a good clock and supports USB, use that, any reasonable USB cable is fine as the DAC is in control of data transfer and clocking. If your DAC is "entry level" but supports IIS, use IIS, but you then need a very good cable.  Otherwise get a good Coax cable. 

The T8 is actually a VERY good streamer - and can have SSDs to store ripped CDs or purchased downloads.  You can plug a USB CD drive into the ports on the T8 (not the Isolated Digital) and use it for ripping - or as a CD player.  A drive like that will set you back about $70.  I have borrowed the external Verbatim multi format drive from my desktop computer and used that for ripping.

Fear not, the T8 will serve you well - it supports just about every known streaming source, I use both Presto and Qobuz, each has some releases the other does not.

It is possible to obsess (not meant pejoratively) about equipment and cables upstream of your DAC (I obsess about all analog stuff), but, certainly in my case, the Esoteric engineers of the DAC did the digital obsessing for me, and the SQ from the K-01XDSE (using USB) is essentially independent of upstream digital gear, so, whether changes to your digital gear changes the sound, YMMV.  What is your DAC?