dac and streamer or seperates

@russbutton 

not what I’m saying at all. Yes, digital data is represented as 1s and 0s. But, it is transmitted as a voltage across a wire just like any other signal with a rise and fall to that signal that is interpreted as a 1 and a 0 when it reaches a certain value. You probably know that you can transmit digital data across an A/C circuit. The data is in there. With a whole lot of other signal.

I completely agree that the digital data received from a PC vs a streamer (a type of PC optimized for audio quality) will be identical.  What I don’t agree with is that those two data streams must sound identical after being processed by a quality DAC. Direct experience tells us otherwise. 

If you’re an audio fan pursuing better audio quality- which I presume most of the people who post here are doing, I’m just suggesting you  challenge your belief and experiment.

Of course, it’s fair to point out not all systems will benefit. Certainly not all DACs will benefit. But, some do to great affect. I once held your view. But I tried something different and was pleasantly surprised. 

@russbutton most of the seasoned audiophiles here have experimented with different streamers, DACs and network components. FTPing files and knowing how to do checksum in Linux does nothing for your credibility when it comes to audio.
There is plenty of material to read to learn how streaming works on these forums and internet in general. YouTube has few good channels where this subject is discussed and explained at length. Spend some time educating yourself.

One other thing, the OP had posted a specific question. Derailing the discussion is bad form. Stay on topic. 

@mgrif104 You write:

"I completely agree that the digital data received from a PC vs a streamer (a type of PC optimized for audio quality) will be identical."

This is where it doesn't make sense to me.  If a DAC receives the exact same digital data from two different sources, then why would it then result in a different analog signal?

Sadly I'll probably never get the chance to make the comparison you're suggesting.  Hawaii Island a backwater.  There are no audio shops here, let alone audio repair techs.  It's very rural.  Think Northern Idaho 10 miles from the Canadian boarder.  We're as close to the 3rd World you can get and still be in one of the 50 states.

@russbutton

This is where it doesn’t make sense to me. If a DAC receives the exact same digital data from two different sources, then why would it then result in a different analog signal?

You might get a better understanding by reading about what one DAC manufacturer did to try to improve the analog output. This is a website for the distributor for Holo DACs. You want to scroll all the way down, past the prices and read the section titled: Some noted features:

DAC Design Used to Improve Digital to Analog Conversion

Perhaps I’m overly generalizing, but it is also very important for the source to have a very stable clock. This is where the better Aurender and other high end brands excel. For those that can afford it, very accurate external clocks and both source and DAC clock inputs theoretically provide the best environment for digital to analog conversion. I2s communication protocol provides another theoretically great way to put a system together. If your source has a very good clock, I2s can pass the clock to the DAC and provide much the same benefit as the external clock, but unfortunately, many I2s implementations don’t allow for a clock signal to pass on I2s. PS Audio would be a glaring example of this. Paul (PS Audio Owner, engineer and chief marketeer) relentlessly pushes I2s, but doesn’t design equipment that allows for the clock to pass from source to DAC.