Would I benefit from a dedicated streamer?

@andrewkelley -- I checked out Wolf Audio Luna R Digital on their website. It seems that if you want Roon compatibility for streaming, you're looking at $5400. Also, it's not clear whether you need accessories like the connectivity kit to operate it fully. I'm sorry but I don't see how you can claim that it's 'Waaaaaaaay' cheaper than U1.

Also, it will be helpful if you can share more details about your comparison with the Lumin and Aurender. What aspects of SQ do you think are better?

@andrewkelley - I've barely heard mention of Metrum and Wolf, but if those best the Aurender W20SE, that's saying something special.

@hiphiphand - I read your post and the responses when you originally posted, but I now see there is quite a bit more discussion.  It will be tonights "light" reading.  Thank you.

I use Roon on a dedicated Mac then going to a ps audio DS sr dac using Ethernet. I have used many software apps like audirvana and pure music on servers and then went to an Auralic Aries music server, all using usb to an external dac. I will never go back to usb until it gets better.
When Running over Ethernet or even i2s, you don’t have to worry about usb specs which is often a feature that differentiates manufacturers. I also like the sound better going directly into a BHK amp from the DS dac compared to using a quality preamp.

I'm sticking with a dedicated barebones Acer laptop AMD CPU/20 Gb Ram , running Windows 10 and enhanced with AudiophileOptimizer,Fidelizer ,ProcessLasso and ParkControl.
I would consider a dedicated streamer if significant SQ gains were achievable , but no return policy on any products here in Thailand.

I’ve found the Bricasti M5 a superb streamer, it just sounds very right. I use it with an Network Acoustics ENO filter and Ethernet cable on the input and find the AES output sounds the best.