Do I Really Need a Dedicated Streamer?

@jssmith I didn't know that Dac manufacturers were using an analog computer for their output stages.

@invalid they don’t. But you can still program it if you really try. 

Pretty sure the measurements are taken using the analog output as input and are not done in digital domain.  Analog out is why it’s a DAC and not just a D.   So there is that.

@jssmith Thank you sir, I have a SMSL DAC as well (DO200) and it sounds pretty good to me.  I am on the lookout for a DAC/Streamer to consolidate my system to save on space. 

@dunkin - I’m not sure if your question as to why so many were suggesting you switch to tidal or qobuz when all you were asking about was how a better streamer might give you better sound quality, but if not, it is for precisely the same reason why a truly good streamer makes a difference. Everything about sound quality begins with your source, and by extension, your source equipment. The ability of the computer that any streamer, server or basic iMac is to perform its processing well, if fully dependent on its ability to do that processing with as little noise created as possible. The most recent discoveries in digital audio tell us that huge amounts of digital noise/jitter/whatever is created with any kind of processing - while this isn’t a problem with the generally accurate transmission of word, drawing or perhaps interview sound files, with high resolution audio, the reduction to realism of these kinds of sound files can be huge. Some new and groundbreaking typologies of digital audio transmission are now so sensitive to processing noise, that basic 44.1khz sound files sound better than the higher resolution files of 192lhz and above due to amount of noise that the higher degree of processing creates. You can read more about this in relation to the taiko Olympus server, and their new protocol termed XDMI that has replaced the now ubiquitous and very compromised USB.
In the same way that the source equipment of a server is so vital for the accuracy and cleanness of the source signal that is fed to your DAC, so is the source signal that each streaming service feeds to your streamer or server. With Spotify, its signal feed is of such low resolution that a change of receiving equipment may not detect any sound difference. This is the reason why some have suggested improvement to your streaming service prior to improvement to how you stream your music.
Do excuse me if this had already become apparent to you earlier ; )

In friendship - kevin