Streaming Sound Quality - Want the very best sound quality? Network Acoustics ENO...

@antigrunge2 Exactly, my experience as well. Still, my search is on for the most efficient means to extract maximum sound quality. My present thoughts along this line is server with optical out capability into streamer or streaming dac with optical in capability.

I'd also add complexity vs maximizing simplicity is a trade off. More complexity means more cables, connectors, devices, power supplies, all can generate, be conduits or allow leakage in of EMI/RFI. Greater separation of devices at the same time may theoretically decrease this same noise. I have Trifield Meter and the greatest generation of RFI comes from server/computer motherboards, transformers of all kinds and storage devices such as ssd and hard drives. Put these all under one roof, not good.

Paradoxically, the best solution should be something in between the two extremes. While I'd like to see power supplies,  and perhaps storage in separate enclosures, I wouldn't mind seeing optimized usb within servers which may negate need for all kinds of usb thingies, or separate streamers for that fact. They could also offer clean ethernet inputs within servers, devices like Uptone Etherregen wouldn't have to be separate and external. Storage could also be well shielded within server, eliminating the need for NAS or USB external storage. Having the ethernet and usb optimized within a single server also serves to eliminate possible clocking incompatibility, per what you mentioned above.

I do think the Taiko Extreme and Wadax servers address all my requests, minimal devices and maximum sound quality all under one roof. Unfortunately, this comes at prohibitive price for most of us!

I am very interested in trying out the Eno filter in my system. However, I don’t stream and all playback is from locally sourced files residing in the music server itself. The server is connected to the home network only to control Roon. Curious if anyone found improvement with the Eno filter in such scenario ? 

@antigrunge2

I’m well aware of your somewhat idiosyncratic system approach. My point is simple, it is very easy to get carried away in our pursuit to improve performance to nth degree. There is this breaking point where adding more ‘tweaks’ will only result in marginal or subtle improvements if your baseline is weak. It’s like putting a ‘lipstick on a pig’ :-)

Streaming is no longer in its infancy, it has matured. I see some of the posters here regularly peddling their convoluted biases like setting a good streaming system is equivalent of setting up a science lab. The way I see, it’s not very helpful to readers that are trying to venture into streaming. 

@lalitk There are two different audiences here, yes, basics important to those just venturing into streaming, for the more mature streamers this is explorative information. I see no harm in trying and reporting on every single streaming device available. This only adds to knowledge base, most mature streamers can read between the lines and determine for themselves the veracity of those reporting on these devices and the devices themselves.

Trying to limit discussion to only devices and setups that meet some subjective base line is only censorship. I for one like to hear about many setups, so keep the experiments and reviews coming.

@sns

Once again, you missed my point. As you pointed out in one of your earlier post, ‘I still think much to be learned’. Carry on!