Is it worth it to add a music server just for FLAC files?

The real question seems to be whether a new streamer platform can offer improved sound. Others have said it here, but just agreeing that 'yes' you can improve your sound by upgrading your streamer. I have been experimenting with standalone streamers this year and keeping everything else the same (i.e. DAC, etc.) there are noticeable differences between streamers.

@ mahler You are correct. I am mainly interested in local FLAC files from a hard drive. Since Qobuz is only about 5% of my listening that is not part of my equation.

The 'less is more' side of me is telling me to stick with just the hard drive -->> keep it simple, less moving parts, cables, etc.

The other side of me is thinking that maybe an Aurender model might smooth things out like is mentioned above.

Am I correct that the hard/solid state drive in a commercial streamer is an off the shelf drive? Meaning like one you could buy off of Amazon or is the storage a specialized/audio centric storage device. 

I really do appreciate everyone's feedback. Thank you.

@zerofox,

I'm in agreement with those stating that different servers can dramatically improve your sound quality. Great power supplies and low power dedicated devices have an inherent advantage over devices doing multiple tasks, including most PCs and Macs. Standard computing drives(e.g. Western Digital) can work and sound fine in a NAS or other server. Aurenders, Innous, etc. will sound better than most other one piece servers if cost isn't much of a factor. For those of us on tighter budgets, a NAS in another room with standard drives and an optically isolated streamer like Sonore Rendu is sonically at or near the top class at a lower cost.

Software user experiences also vary widely, so I'd try to get a good idea if whatever is offered will satisfy you from an interface standpoint or you will not be happy in the long run. IMHO, the Roon experience can't be beat, but if you aren't interested, Aurelic, DCS and a few others satisfy many. Lumin is known for good hardware, but IME, there app, relying on standard DLNA/UPnP protocols can be a PITA maintaining network connectivity. It's free and works w/any DLNA/UPnp device, as do other apps from Linn and others. Cheers,
Spencer

I completely understand where you are coming from. I was there, thinking I just want to use what I have. But at some point I broke through that mind set and realized there was a whole new world out there… It completely blew me away. I look back now and just can’t believe how wonderful this new world is.

I daily listen to music two to three hours a day with incredible musicality and virtually none of it did I listen to a year ago, or last month. I discover new groups an genera constantly exploring whole worlds of music I had no idea existed and with astonishing sound quantity that constantly inspires me.