Here is a post from a very experienced and knowledgeable DIY hobbyist who has built many servers and streamers
https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/taiko-audio-sgm-extreme-the-cr%C3%A8me-de-la-cr%C3%A8me.27433/page-138#post-626261
I have been heavily involved in the development of streamers / music servers for the last 5 years
Here are my takeaways
- all streamers get the 0's and 1's right
- nearly every USB DAC gets the timing of arrival of the 0's and 1's done well
- in all digital devices the numerous clocks are significant sources of RF emissions
- the effect of RF emissions is very difficult to attenuate to levels where their effects are no longer audible
- RF emissions are sensitive to vibration and power supply
- software activity in a streamer has an immediate effect on power supply current draw and which carries a RF emission imprint
The evidence to support this chain of effects
- streamers running different operating systems sound different
- put any streamer on a vibration control / damping platform you will hear a difference
- every new roon release sounds significantly better even when delivering bit perfect to the DAC
- USB cables sound different
https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/taiko-audio-sgm-extreme-the-cr%C3%A8me-de-la-cr%C3%A8me.27433/page-138#post-626261
I have been heavily involved in the development of streamers / music servers for the last 5 years
Here are my takeaways
- all streamers get the 0's and 1's right
- nearly every USB DAC gets the timing of arrival of the 0's and 1's done well
- in all digital devices the numerous clocks are significant sources of RF emissions
- the effect of RF emissions is very difficult to attenuate to levels where their effects are no longer audible
- RF emissions are sensitive to vibration and power supply
- software activity in a streamer has an immediate effect on power supply current draw and which carries a RF emission imprint
The evidence to support this chain of effects
- streamers running different operating systems sound different
- put any streamer on a vibration control / damping platform you will hear a difference
- every new roon release sounds significantly better even when delivering bit perfect to the DAC
- USB cables sound different