Point of higher priced streamer?

@audio2design,

No insult intended. Just offering some wisdom that was not my own. Twain was warning people to be wary of certitude. Ignorance, which plagues me and the rest of the world, is not nearly as dangerous as being certain about something that turns out to be untrue. Scientists are just as vulnerable to this trap as “flat earthers.” Many scientific discoveries remained elusive because some scientists claimed those discoveries were “impossible.” The more someone is certain they are right, the more skeptical I become of his/her position. But that’s just me. Similarly, I am skeptical of people casting aspersions on other people’s character when they don’t personally know the person they’re disparaging. Do you know Mr. Darko? Maybe you don’t know whether he’s “technically illiterate.” Are you certain?

Hey AtDavid, or whatever you call yourself now, Audio2Design: As I said, your Ego-Boner meter is off the charts.

Darko is a real person, with real name, and face, for all to see. Question is: who are you? Other than a pathetic lonely low life import from troll factory, constantly posting under numerous fake usernames in Audiogon, I fail to see your credentials. I might as well proclaim I am the Pope here. It wouldn’t be better than who you say you are. Isn’t it time for the cat to come out?

I don't have to know Mr Darko personally to know that the claims he makes and the things he says are factually wrong and that they reveal that he is technically illiterate on many of the things he claims to be somewhat of an expert on.

I think if you read my post I tend to be a little more balanced than many. I have spent most of my life working to ensure that people subjectively prefer the audio that I have been involved in. I'm not just speaking from a standpoint of uninformed belief I've been involved at an academic practical and research level on audio most of my life.  I've spent a lot of time trying to understand what people prefer subjectively.  I also have very healthy technical skepticism that skepticism was not formed purely by my technical knowledge but by practical tests far too often usually with someone ending up surprised that they were fooled by no one else but themselves.
Just remember that so many of these claims never survive controlled testing and the only measurement that's used is someone's ears and brain. It's not measurement and technology that tells me these things don't make a difference it's actual listening experience not just mine but of the many people I've put through it. Hey even I have convinced myself of a difference only to have a colleague make me look stupid.

Still smiling and laughing thyname, I've positively influenced your music, all Darko has done is influence the lightness of your pocketbook and made you envious.

Gone, there is an assumption in you suggestion that if measurements are the same the sound will be the same.  I think it has been pretty well established that hardware with the same specs will usually still sound different.  In fact, sometimes equipment with really good measurements has poor sound.  I have both a hi-end streamer and Bluesound.  In doing an A/B comparison, the Moon steamer produces better sound.