why expensive streamers


@soix and others

I am unclear about the effect on sound of streamers (prior to getting to the dac). Audio (even hi-res) has so little information content relative to the mega and giga bit communication and processing speeds (bandwidth, BW) and cheap buffering supported by modern electronics that it seems that any relatively cheap piece of electronics would never lose an audio bit. 

Here is why. Because of the huge amount of BW relative to the BW needs of audio, you can send the same audio chunk 100 times and use a bit checking algorithm (they call this "check sum") to make sure just one of these sets is correct. With this approach you would be assured that the correct bits would be transfered. This high accuracy rate would mean perfect audio bit transfer. 

What am I missing? Why are people spending 1000's on streamers?

thx

 

128x128delmatae

@grislybutter It's not just streamers, but any digital signal that can be potentially degraded. It was from a review of a USB cord that pointed out the importance of proper shielding, keeping out RFI and EMI at all costs.

I thought it went along the lines of what blisshifi brought up.

All the best,
Nonoise

@siox
//Audio (even hi-res) has so little information content relative to the mega and giga bit communication and processing speeds (bandwidth, BW)//

Doesn’t that mean the audio signal is simple comparatively? The audio signal is simple the frequencies are nice and long and the timing is easy. I’m not drinkin’, I thought you had an engineering or physics background based on your OP

@donavabdear I’m not the OP and didn’t say that if you go back and read the original thread more carefully The rest of your post is an unintelligible run-on sentence about microphones with an absurd conclusion about audiophiles so I’m not even wasting my time responding to it. Maybe take up drinking — it might help.

I guess the digital transmission theory states that the bitstream from a high quality PC USB stream vs. an RPI4, both feeding the same DAC, would be identical, therefore sounding the same.

Boy was I surprised how much better the RPI feed sounded.

Not sure why.  But it sure does.

If all the opaque but purportedly game-changing technical differences in capability from increasingly expensive streamer models is so audible, why is streaming not doomed from the get-go since it’s sourced from audio-firestorm data centers? Those places are certainly not set up mechanically or logistically to cater to audiophile concerns as a priority.