Weakest digital link: DAC - Streamer - Server?

IMO, a NAS should outperform Tidal depending on the quality of the drive you are using for the NAS.

One of the reasons you want a server is to tame the extremely volatile internet. If you are just using a streamer, it has to work harder to settle things down. A high powered server is best sending the signal to a lower powered player. I have never heard a streamer perform as well as a comparably priced server and renderer.

If your NAS is SSD based and is quiet and fast it should outperform Tidal sending a signal to a streamer. This assumes it is on a wired connection, etc... But, the key is quiet and fast. As pointed out above, noise can come from a lot of places and the goal is to minimize this.

If your local files are underperforming compared to Tidal then you have an issue on your network. Local files should outperform tidal.

Regarding which is most important, DAC, player, server, cables I agree again with the above that it is all important. Given that there is less deviation in tonal profile from servers/renderers vs DACs, I think you start with the DAC first as it can be more colored. And then pick the optimal device for your DAC choice.

There is a chain and the system is only as strong as its weakest link.  And a quality DAC differentiates itself in execution of bits to music.

A quality DAC will take the best streaming, audio files and deliver great sound but just as critically it will take MP3 and bluetooth and present a cohesive sound.

I use a DAS and have no doubt a music server will do the same.  The analogy I made up (and it could be wrong) is a quality turntable is the basis of using a higher quality cartridge or tonearm and even phono stage.  Lack of the quality table and the stuff down the chain doesn't work.  (of course someone can say without a phono preamplifier it means nothing - lets just leave that out for this example).

I’m also in the “everything matters” camp. But I’m also in the “life’s too short to deal with computer crap” camp and recommend going with an Innuos Zen Mk3 streamer/server, pair it with a nice DAC and just enjoy life/music. But that’s me. Best of luck.

Members here like @jasonbourne52 tell you that the DAC is the most important part of the chain. Then, in their very next breath they tell you that they all sound the same and don't spend over a couple hundred dollars or you are an idiot.

Good times...