Help settle a streaming argument!


This is a SQ argument and is as follows-  I argue if you connect your streamer to an outboard DAC the streamer does not matter it’s just serving the music to the outboard DAC to do the work.  Therefore, buy a basic streamer.  The other is that you need to buy a top quality streamer and DAC to get great SQ. 
 

I liken it to cd players or the more pretentious cd transport argument- if the intent is to connect to outboard DAC the cd player doesn’t matter the outboard DAC DOES!
 

features and functionality aside!  Thoughts…..

polkalover

@cleeds Are you always so gruff?

 

Could you please point me to the post you referred to that gives the explanation?

thanks,

jerry

 

PS  I just bought a $13K streamer.

I started out with a Cocktail Audio X45 streamer.  I ripped all my CD's to an internal hard drive and it sounded pretty good, at least as good as my cd player.  I finally upgraded that to an Auralic Aries G2.1 and it blew away the X45, so I can tell you the streamer matters.  The biggest quip I have with the Auralic is the APP, it really is not any better than the Cocktail APP when it comes to usability.  I bit the bullet and ordered an Aurender N20 which should be here tomorrow, I am hoping for a lot better interface with their APP and according to Upscale the sound quality should be a lot better, they have never steered me wrong yet.  I have the streamer running through a PS Audio MK2 DAC which is very good, and from there to a BHK preamp then to BHK 300 mono's.

I sense alot of folks hold that in digital (sources),  a file is a file.  That 1s and 0s dont get scrambled no matter the price-point yet will agree that a LPS can make a difference.  Does an inferior PS flip bits or is the decoding software failing intermittently without a "better power supply".   How would a LPS affect these rote processes?  Not saying I have a dog in any fight but these two positions seem at odds to me.   Not talking analog in this regard, nor amps.