My Dell laptop (dedicated for streaming only) was super-tricked out with all the bells & whistles. A lot of time, effort & expense went into it. I mean a lot!
When I finally compared it to a dedicated mid-priced streamer, the laptop was quickly dispatched to the closet. Not even close. The SQ from the dedicated streamer was far superior.
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Perhaps, the routing through the TV sounds better because the optical cable is mitigating some noise. Still, not ideal.