Do I need an expensive digital cable?

@richardbrand 

Rewriting my post, I would merely change the word DSD to MQA. I have read about the differences between various streaming formats, but I'm not interested enough in the science to totally retain it. I am much more interested in the sound. And actually a more expensive digital cable did help my system. The whole question was based on the fact that my streamer has an asynchronous DAC with its own clock. 

In regards to Blu-ray recordings, I never see them. I have no idea where you get them, unless the music is attached to a film. A suggestion, though, @richardbrand , from my experience you tend to look at flaws in systems and even in other people's writing.

I don't know if you can enjoy your own system if you are so concentrated on what is wrong. At some point, I say, just sit back and enjoy it. It's never ever ever ever going to perfect. I don't think perfect exists in audio. I can show you articles from 20 years ago where a reviewer said that he had found the perfect sound, only to change his mind in the next latest iteration.

I don't know about you, but money will always be my biggest constraint. When I was younger a friend of mine said she had the Van Cliburn syndrome. She quit playing music because she would never play as well as Van Cliburn. I took it to heart. Enjoy things even though you know they're not perfect, or perhaps not even close.

@audio-b-dog 

So now we have

I don’t have an HDMI choice, so I have no idea about it being better. I have, however, been experimenting with DSD MQA vs PCM by playing the same album on Qobuz and Tidal. I think I mostly prefer PCM for its better delineation of instruments. It also handles attacks better. However, every now and then DSD MQA seems more airy and I prefer that on a few albums. My accountant wife says one has to go. I think I’ll keep Qobuz.

MQA is delivered via PCM, but is essentially a lossy format.

As of July 24, 2024, Tidal has officially dropped support for MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) and 360 Reality Audio formats, replacing them with HiRes FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) for high-resolution streaming

In Australia, Pure Audio Blu-ray disks (mainly rock music) were sold by just about every record store until on-line sales took over.  I have shown you where to buy some several times now.

You say

money will always be my biggest constraint

but you also say 

I'm not interested enough in the science to totally retain it. I am much more interested in the sound

In my opinion, your biggest constraint is not money, it is your disinterest in scientific explanations which seems to prevent you from spending wisely.

Sounds like in this case streaming is for background music and vinyl and cd (also questionable) for serious listening.

overall stubbornness reappears and shuts the gateway of brain. 

@soix 

I thought it shouldn't matter but it did. The $249 is better than the $14 one. I think that has to do with shielding and other types of interference than jitter.

@richardbrand 

In response, I would say that my ear has caused me to buy very wisely. I can hear things that people at audio stores can't. I don't know why or how, but I have developed a very good ear and I think that beats science any day. What's the point of science if not to point you to good sounding gear?

I happen to be writing about this now and it's a much bigger topic than you might think. At the turn of the 20th century scientists thought they had it all sussed. At the turn of the 21st century scientists are willing to admit that there is more they don't know than they do know. I'd say trust your ear over anything else when it comes to audio.