Do I Need a Dedicated Streamer?

Re: WiFi vs. wired or external streamer USB to DAC vs combo DAC and streamer the issue is the same: WiFi receivers and DACs generate a lot of electronic noise both inherently and via their power supplies.  WiFi especially as it is also a transmitter.

it’s best to isolate each link in the chain.

So, for example, plugging your streamer into a WiFi satellite is just as good (signal dependent) as a direct line, assuming reasonable data speeds.

The benefit is that space of 4-5 feet.  

if your super paranoid, you can even get a grounded surge protector for CAT6 cable from Amazon for $40.  Not sure it would help signal, but might save equipment from a freak accident.  (I would do this if your streamer is plugged into your router and then cable.  That’s not that remote of an accident.)

@caslon 

Do you have separate 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks set up on your wireless router? Sometimes connection problems between two devices can happen when they're roaming between the two frequency bands.

If using Roon (highly recommended) get a dedicated music server and for me it can down to interconnects and power cords.   I went for a combined steamer DAC and solved all my streaming interupts and connection problems.  

I have a streamer/dac, lumin x1, and A nucleus for roon. And this connects into my Gat cj pre-amplifier. The lumin is superb and using a separate Dac which I have I wanted to avoid due to all the additional interconnect crap and all the temptation to periodically replace the dac. I don’t find this necessary anymore and see no value in doing it. So the inclusion of a dac within the streamer in this case ideal and it took a while to find it and was well worth the search.

a Streamer does mystical things that most have no clue about. The nucleus houses an operating system necessary to operate roon. And then you got the endpoint within the streamer that again does mystical things to allow all the necessary machinations to transform Data flow coming in from the nucleus. I think it Hass to do with a bitstream and clocking and changing the compression rates and all kinds of crazy stuff and no one really understands except those few who actually do.

Do you need a streamer to do quality work on your music? probably yes.

@rick_n Thank you for that response. I will definitely be trying out your Tidal suggestion since it is essentially free.

In the meantime, I will continue doing more research on the topic (obviously all of the responses here are a major help as well.