Any audiophile use computer (MacBook) as your audio streaming source?

@devinplombier Fibre optical cables are made of glass and can be very long; cheap too.Fibre is used to transmit data across large distances reliably, 

Glass cannot carry analog noise that is in the network, a network is likely ethernet cable based for the most part, like my home network. I use fibre cable as the last bit before the DAC.

I think jitter is another matter to be concerned with, but most competent DACs (low cost) can handle jitter these days. I do not know how that relates to streaming. I do not care since the DACs can deal with it.

Toslink is likely also made of glass, but it is a different type of cable and cannot travel long distances. Toslink also has some issue related to digital transmission that I do not know enough to explain.

I do use Toslink in my office system for 1 DAC input and SPDIF for another DAC input. The Toslink is for my noisy computer (YouTube and sports) and the SPDIF is for CD/SACD's. The SPDIF sounds great, as good as the streaming. The Toslink is not that great, nor is the source.

I am just some person spewing an opinion here however, there are some heavy-duty DAC designers that are stating the same thing. PlayBack Designs Andreas Koch for one.

BTW - Lumin were the first DAC company to support fibre natively, they actually did this after reading posts on an online forum years ago about the advantages of fibre.

@yyzsantabarbara - the problem with Toslink is that a) it is limited to 24/96 and b) there is no error detection or correction like with USB. USB is way more modern, I am running 15 ft USB just fine, it is not worse than a twisted pair.

I think jitter is another matter to be concerned with, but most competent DACs (low cost) can handle jitter these days. I do not know how that relates to streaming. I do not care since the DACs can deal with it.

@yyzsantabarbara  No!  Most DACs can somewhat handle jitter, but most if not all DACs can significantly benefit from a DDC and/or external clock.  Michael Lavorgna has written here recently how adding an external clock, even to a very accomplished DAC, can greatly improve performance.  Most DACs do not even have an OCXO clock much less completely deal with jitter, so to say most low-cost DACs can just somehow “handle” jitter is just nonsensical and incorrect.  You’re inappropriately minimizing a significant issue here that should not be minimized. 

@soix I believe it depends on the DAC and some designers say their DACs do not need a clock, such as PlayBack Designs. Now this is not a cheap DAC, $6k -$24k.

I use the low-cost, Schitt Yggi+ OG and LIM (soon converted to MIB) DACs. I consider the Yggi a very competent DAC, one of the best. I have not contacted Mike Moffet via Head-fi web site to ask why he does not use a clock, but I do not have any concerns about Schitt DACs supporting a clock. 

A lot of nonsensical and incorrect information abound. I know what works for me and who is blowing a bit of hot air. 

For anyone who is not sure what I am using. I have a separate streamer that uses fibre at one end and converts to USB at the other end. The USB end goes into my Yggi+ DACs. The newer Yggi's have a good USB support.

BTW - Mike is the designer of the Yggi DACs.

A MacBook has many computing processes going on in the back ground 

where a streamer just has 1 process your music ,

also it has no fan even streamers though in more  then 65% the power supplies are not that good meaning not high quality linear power supplies. Both can be improved better still . I have found that’s DDC or Digital to Digital Converter better known as a Reclocker  takes the incoming Digital signal puts it in a FIFO buffer then  totally cleans- filters  and processes the data to either a Temp controlled ⏰ clock, or even better Oven Clocks ⏰ that then go out to your dac with a much more pristine Digital signal .if your dac  has a I2S input then you can connect That from the DDC to the dac I2S which looks like a HDMI cable , which is the best sounding audio type cable connection ,he Wireworld I use has 48 Separate   wires . This will for sure give you computer or streamer a more musically engaging experience . I just stack on top of dac using Iso acoustic feet on both.