How to get into high end digital? (Feeding a DAC)

Typical if you can't measure it differences can't exist arguments. And so, recently placed audiophile network switch between router and NAS, server. Sound quality decreased, router with lps feeding NAS and server superior. Rest of network chain post server optimized. Amir over at ASR recently measured audiophile network switches, virtually no measured performance difference. The assumption then is audiophile switches should sound the exact same as generic switch or no switch.
I'm not here to argue my particular audiophile switch or any audiophile switch will improve sound quality in my system. My results just the opposite, and my results are replicated by some other reviewers of various audiophile switches. I also see other reviewers agnostic and enthusiastic in regard to these switches.

So, I have no skin in the game at this point, highly skeptical. And yet, I heard a difference in sound quality. Would measurements predict this? As for placebo or confirmation bias, I certainly wanted this switch to be effective, I spent a fair amount of money, I'd heard the theoretical arguments as to their effectiveness, and yet I heard what I heard. Can the measurement brigade answer for this? Am I delusional in hearing a decrease in sound quality with switch, or am I delusional in hearing better sound quality with router feed? 

Some of the measurement brigade may believe I or all of us cannot listen devoid of some measure of delusion, don't trust your senses which only betray, listen to the measurements. Expecting delivery of my highly specialized listening robot any day now, he/she will report sound quality evaluation that I can regard as objective truth.

Everything affect digital. Home power is a HUGE issue.  You can't make a blanket statement about jitter or clocks not mattering.  They do in most cases, but not all as long as the DAC/streamer/renderer is designed properly to begin with.  That's going to be costly as I am finding out in my own search for a new DAC that I'm going through now.  

Budget is the most important thing.  There is some good digital at all price points. The thing is that you have to figure out what compromises you can handle adn what's most important to you.

As for Steve Nuggent and his DAC's and Synchro-mesh etc... he makes GREAT products.  Steve is also a GREAT person.  I owned his DAC and loved it and I have a Synchro-Mesh that I no longer need, but when I used it, it helped everything.  Holmz, you know how to get in touch with me.  Please reach out if you would like to and we can 'talk'.  Digital comes down to what flavor you like (for the most part).  that goes for all price ranges based on what I've beee auditioning.