Dear readers
I certainly do very much like to follow this discussion opened by napoleoninrags 16.
Which is, bdw a VERY interesting 'call sign' used in this forum'😉
100%, + mapman
In my system, there are totally 4 USB A-B connections (Oehlbach and ViaBlue) leading from 2 laptops (Win10) and 2 tablets (Android 7) into 3 different DAC's. (SS Amp Cambridge Audio 751r, Marantz SACD player SE8005 and Hybrid Amp Vincent SV-500).
Streaming App's are JRiver with laptops and Audio Player Pro with tablets. The distance from the source to the DAC is 16 feet (2x), 8 feet and 3.5 feet.
My long term experience: Between these connections, I do not (cannot?) hear any difference regarding sound quality, which is really very good to my ears. I will have to check if I could hear a difference using my headphones (I am mostly listening over the speakers). BDW: I will later compare in detail the sound quality between USB A-B connection and HDMI connection from one source to the 751r. Just being curios...
Would it be worth to go for a dedicated streamer (price range US$ 200 to US$ 1'000)? I would need to find out and invest the money. Currently, I do believe that the investment of these bucks into the Quobuz Premier streaming plan is the way to go for me (Curiosity is killing the cat..). This is my personal opinion, based on my listening experience with my gear.