Music server vs. external hard drive to DAC

I can only provide my experience

will a relatively inexpensive streamer played through a decent DAC give CD quality results? Already being a Amazon Prime customer is their streaming service on par with the other variants.

Depending on what is perceived as decent. I’m currently using the PSAudio MK1 as a Dac. I think it’s decent but YMMV

I’m don’t currently have my CD player hooked up but I can compare converted flac files to streaming.

I’m using a Windows Fanless PC using Foobar 2000 for streaming flac files compared to Amazon Pirime with USB output to the DAC. Local files sound better... not a lot better but better. I’ve used Qobuz in the past and it sounded better than Amazon Prime but still not as good local files.

(I also have a PI2AES streamer on the same system) local files both I2S and AES/EBU sound better than the fanless PC but sadly can’t provide Amazon access which is why I have both streamers.

The final note is that the sound difference from best to worst is a matter of several degrees. I would not be able to tell which configuration was playing if I wasn’t able to compare them directly.

So my answer to your question is No you will not get CD quality using Amazon and other services like Qobuz. While Qobuz does sound marginally better Amazon can still sound pretty darn good.

There are 3 components to consider: Music Server feeding a streamer feeding a DAC.  All three can be separate or combined into one, two, or three boxes.  

Music Server - manages music collection (if copied to a drive), supports your meta data database if using a product like Roon (highly recommended) and serves your selected music to a streamer / renderer.

Streamer / Renderer - receives music from your server or music service like Qobuz, Tidal, etc, usually cleans-up feed and rebuilds data packets (reclockes) and usually has some buffering capability to handle any delays / interrupts in your network service.  In simple terms the streamer prepares the music "data" to feed your DAC.

DAC - converts your digital data feed to an analog signal which is fed to you preamp / amp.

I've dealt with / had "all in solutions", and a few "separates" solutions.  Becoming frustrated with network blips ended up with a separate music server, feeding a combination streamer DAC solution.  I also have a 4 tb SSD music collection integrated into my music server.  

Specificly I am very happy with my:

Small Green Computer i5 Music Server with internal 4tb ssd, feeding a Bricasti M1 with a renderer / streamer card.  With this solution you can request your music with any wireless device: laptop, iPad, cell phone etc. while having your music feed system hard wired from your ISP modem and router to your audio system.  

I also recommend considering Roon.  In my case, it enables me to seamlessly integrate music services with SSD resident music collection.  It also treats each streamer / DAC as an endpoint, routing music to multiple output solutions.  In my case, my audio system, a sonos system connected to my main TV and an outdoor sonos system.  Roon also has the capability to route to remote points like your cell phone which can be connected to you car, or any other blue tooth connected speakers.

A side benefit is the ability to located the Music Server is another room next to my ISP modem router.  Some would say keeping a much noise and RF as far away from your DAC as possible.

Sorry for rambling.  I hope this is of some value.  Im now using my streaming solution "only" for all my music everywhere!   

This is a great exercise where all input is appreciated. Goodlistening 64 has really defined my question. My external hard drive was populated with 2 terabytes of lossless music by a friend of nine played through a new Dell laptop into a RME dac. Sounds pretty damn good. I switched things up today with an all tube rig - Audio Mirror preamp into QS Horn Monos using a 25 year old Pioneer PD95 CD player (around 2 grand way back when and built like a 10k machine today) played into my recent Coherent Audio GR 12 . With a Japanese produced CD the sound, for me, in what is probably a modest rig, is stellar.