Music server vs. external hard drive to DAC

Sorry  @maxwave, I thought maybe it was an  honest mistake.  No insult intended.

It should equal CDs but I never compared Prime LL to CDs while I tried it. Happier with Qobuz because it plays on most streamers while few have be embraced Amazon. I listened most often with my PC which might be why I dropped it.

Why not save and step it up like a Innuos SS HD streamer 

and exceptional dac like the T+A200 dac + excellent active preamp 

that’s what I am buying next $7200 retail I have seen demo models $6200 

and as good or better then Any dac at $15k ,I have heard many at audio get togethers all in the same systems over 10 top dacs some over$20 k that was not as well balanced . Do a demo , and check out the reviews.

Assuming we compare the red book CD, vs stored file, versus streaming. Assuming the same quality of the equipment feeding the DAC, then they would be all the same.

However, Qobuz has over half a million albums of higher resolution. So, this is where you may have heard this.

As far as components… they all make a difference in the sound quality… so the better the streamer, the better the sound… just like the DAC, preamp… etc. to find an appropriate streamer, I would start by researching in the same price category as your DAC. Better streamers sound better. I have owned best of class streamers from $1K to $23K… and the latter is simply stunning and provides sound quality equal to my extremely good vinyl leg.