Did you notice....

@czarivey 

What you describe is likely an accurate depiction of your experience in your system. 

An average cd player likely outperforms a sub-optimally implemented streaming setup. The cd player is plug and play and the designer made his or her decisions and then sealed the box. You made the technical and qualitative decisions in your streaming system: software, cables, power, ethernet delivery, file/source selection etc, etc.

No offense intended but if your Carver cd player is outperforming your streaming setup, even a modest streaming setup, then you might consider revisiting your decisions on the streaming side of the equation. Many here have enough experience streaming that your original premise is fatally flawed.

Just listened to JJ Cale Guitar man both on my CD player and streamer, same resolution, using remotes. If anything, the streamer is a bit bigger wider sound and even a tat clearer. You can check my setups on my system. Bottom line the OP is definitely suffering an illusion which is directly related to the qualities of his system and listening environment.

This is not a rhetorical question:

Is format-switching or ad hoc oversampling ever a good thing? 

(I honestly don't know) 

herb

My CD transport is much more expensive than my streamer/player - Innuos Zen Mark III - and I get more detail, air and a wider soundstage playing Roon on the Zen than with most CD’s.

Many/ most streamed tracks are re-engineered for streaming so it’s tough to tell if you’re actually listening to the same recording.

The details of cleaning up the Ethernet signal are VERY important.  Adding the Uptone Audio switch just before the dedicated server and double shielded Ethernet cables took my system to a much higher level.

I can't hear a difference between the CD data coming from my Oppo UDP-203 and the same track ripped from the disc playing through a streamer connected to the same DAC.

The only problem when comparing with tracks from a music service like Qobuz is that you can't be sure if the music truly is the same as what's on the CD.