Ethernet connection for best sound quality

You definitely don’t need a streamer to get absolutely top notch performance. You may like the streamer better subjectively, but objectively there’s nothing particularly better about it.

Uh, objectively there absolutely is something better about a dedicated streamer.  Better components and much lower noise yields huge benefits in streaming.  If you think a multipurpose computer streams music as well as a good dedicated streamer I got a bridge I can sell ya.  

Like I pointed out, a streamer is simply a small computer and it generates all the electromagnetic noise that a regular PC would generate. In fact, most use Linux as the base operating system and commodity compute modules / hardware for processing.  One benefit of a streamer might be the lack of mechanical noise from cooling fans, but if you build and configure a PC carefully they're basically inaudible from a few feet away.

Yes, the one benefit of a good streamer is lack of fan noise.  Good call.

A music streamer is a lot like a game console. Hardly anybody will say that a game console can play games better than a computer.

A music streamer is nothing like a gaming console in any way whatsoever!  Seriously, what are you even doing here?

Is ASR funneling their members here just to spew their ridiculous crap?  Argh!

@soix

Better components?

Let’s look at the Innuos Statement - a flagship streamer. What is the CPU they use?

An Intel Quad Core N4200 - link

Launch date of Q3 2016. This processor is a 7 year old design. Recommended customer price of $56.00. It looks like Intel will stop broad support for this processor on Sep. 30, 2023.

I don’t think this is state of the art.

The operating system running the streamer is Linux-based.

If a streamer uses Linux, it’s most likely using open source software called ’mpd’ for playback. It probably uses other open source projects to handle streaming protocols like shairplay (AirPlay) and umpdcli for UPnP.

So what are audiophiles really paying for?

 @soix 

 

Can’t even believe we’re still having this conversation. 

 Believe it, there is a sucker born every minute.

Those of us who have tried both know. Those that haven't pontificate.  They are not here for knowledge. Just to preach their superior "knowledge."

@yage First, and just as with a DAC, a streamer is much more than just its processing chip, and if you don’t realize this simple fact you don’t (or won’t) understand there’s a lot more involved in good streaming quality than that.  Second, I’ll put an Innuos Statement (or any Innuos streamer for that matter) up against the Raspberry Pi you use in your system 7 days a week and twice on Sunday.  There’s a reason excellent streamers from the likes of Innuos, Lumin, Aurender, Grimm, etc. exist and people are very happy to pay up for them, and none of them would swap them for your lowly Raspberry Pi.  If you’re happy just burying your head in the sand and believe it’s just 1s and 0s and streamers make no difference then you do you.  But most people here prefer to use their ears and spend their $$$ accordingly, and investing in a better streamer has meaningful and substantial benefits whether you choose to “believe” it or not. 

Those of us who have tried both know. Those that haven't pontificate.  They are not here for knowledge. Just to preach their superior "knowledge."

@fuzztone +1