To DDC or not to DDC. That is the question.

yes you’d think...  but in this hobby, folks who have been around the block have learned that listening generally trumps thinking ...  lots of things shouldn’t/wouldn’t impact sound quality if one only thought about them from first principles and theory...and yet...

A DDC can often provide meaningful improvements, but there are lotsa variables so it’s one of those things worth trying if you can arrange a demo or buy used and resell for little/no loss if it doesn’t work out.  

@soix Well you pretty much nailed my modus operandi...Used at little to no loss on resale. 

Yeah, depending on the output of your streamer, which input is optimized for your DAC, interconnects, and then the black magic of the audio Gods that the ASR crowd likes to dismiss because it’s not measured but won’t subjugate themselves to actually use their ears to be the final arbiter — it’s an unknown/black art until you actually hear for yourself.  Just my opinion, but IME a DDC can be a hugely cost-effective upgrade if it works in your situation but no way to know til you try.  Best of luck man.