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

I started streaming with a general use PC laptop, then went to stock Mac Mini, this setup to be used solely as streamer, therefore max services disabled, this was easily heard improvement over the laptop. Next was a newer generation mini, this one modded with Core Technologies LPS, now this was big improvement over the stock mini. Next was a newer yet generation mini, this one maxed out with fastest processor, most RAM, dual hard drive setup, OS on separate drive, Uptone MMK with Uptone JS-2 lps, again better than previous mini. Now I use custom build Windows/ATX board based streamer, this build all out along lines of Taiko, again much improvement over my most extreme mini.

Bottom line, stock computers leave much to be desired as audiophile streamers. They are noisy devices, even laptops with battery power, they may work as convenience streamers, but don't belong as audiophile source. Treat streaming with same care as vinyl source, anything less isn't a first class source.

DDC effectiveness generally with I2S, I2S input on many dacs allows local or host clocking, host or DDC clock may be superior to dac clock. I don't see the point of adding DDC for usb unless streamer usb really poor.

I agree with prior poster in regard to diy builds, many levels of performance depending on build.

How can you argue with people who claim to hear no difference with dedicated streamers vs multi purpose computers, they get to be happy without any extra expenditure.  For those who've not heard a dedicated streamer in their system speak from experience rather than rehashing other's experiences.

If the usb in DDC is superior to the usb in your streamer you have a pretty poor streamer. As for I2S in general, many of the best streamers don't even offer it, they concentrate on usb and in some cases  AES/EBU.

I agree with deep_333 in that downside of ddc is separate box, more cables, more parts to travel through which may have their own sound signatures, greater probability  of noise being introduced, this goes along with the straight wire philosophy. The  solution is to have both streamer and dac with optimized matching input and outputs.

I also previously owned Singxer SU6, it was not superior via usb or I2S to the extremely modded Mac Mini I was using at the time, this via usb.

As for I2S being the defacto  scheme or output I've seen countless reviews in which people found usb, aes/ebu superior. Certainly it is understandable why in theory I2S should be superior (no extra conversion step, dedicated clock line), in practice this doesn't hold. I find it interesting that Linear Tube Audio Aero dac, an R2R dac getting great reviews doesn't even offer i2s, and you'd think this to be even more important with a ladder dac, the idea being timing extremely important to these relatively massive banks of resistors.

I can see where using a general purpose computer in bridged mode could make sense. In this case the computer is used as a server, this means something like Roon core only on computer, this connected to a streamer, various companies make these, in my case I use Sonore OpticalRendu, this becomes Roon endpoint. This segregates or isolates dac from noisy and inferior clocks in general purpose computers. Still, I've compared my custom build server/steamer as both Roon core and endpoint (unbridged mode) to the bridged mode with the Sonore, bridged mode easily betters the unbridged setup. Keep in mind, my custom build sever/streamer uses Enterprise level RAM and hard drive, passive cooling, high speed processor, Euphony OS, $6K linear power supply. Bottom line, IME segregating a general purpose computer from dac with a basic streamer only gets you part way there, YMMV.

@bill_k This is correct.

A DDC is superfluous if streamer has quality clocks, low noise, optimized outputs.

Jitter has long been understood to affect sound quality mostly in the sense of what is described as 'digititus'. Even extremely minute levels can be heard, much of the what we hear as a more analog like presentation comes from attending to jitter in both streamer and dac.

Streaming setups have to be treated holistically, this means from internet provider  all the way through input on dac, this is in actuality a system. Consider the provider as source, dac as the output or to make an analogy, the loudspeaker. Any weak link, I don't care where it is will away from the whole, you are simply not hearing the full potential of your streaming setup. Why anyone would have  a great dac with a lousy streaming chain prior is beyond me, just like having great loudspeakers with lousy source or amp components. Losses can exist at any point in chain, you CANNOT make up for those losses by providing excellence elsewhere. I'd actually go with the Linn philosophy for streaming chains, the idea being the source is the most important component in chain.

I don't get it, Audiogon generally a gathering of subjectivists, yet it seems many streaming arguments come from objectivist perspectives on data being packets of zero and ones that can't possibly be affected by noise, jitter, this is ASR nonsense.

For those seeking enlightenment of at least consideration of other perspectives go to audiophilestyle forum.

There really shouldn't be any confusion about these devices, every computer or purpose built audiophile computer I'm aware of is in fact a streamer or at least has streamer capabilities. Coupling these devices to a dedicated streamer ONLY device is what makes them servers. Streamer only devices also go by the name of endpoints, sometimes also called renderers . These devices don't have the capability of acting as servers since they don't have the computing power to process complex music player apps. Streamer only devices are also in fact computers, just optimized and simplified to run a simpler task of acting as endpoints.