Check in: How quickly are streamers and servers evolving?


This is a question for those who have been trying streamers and servers recently, watching reviews and product launches, or who just know their stuff and keep up with the technology. I am trying to separate market hype and churn from what is happening, technologically.

Many have said that DAC technology development has slowed down enough for people to feel comfortable spending real coin on a good DAC. Good to know.

So my question is: How quickly do you think streamer and server technology is evolving? Is it still a moving target -- in other words still worth being somewhat cautious about perhaps waiting before dropping serious coin as the technology is soon to change again? Or are we slowing down?

(For those who think these technologies can be accomplished in economical ways (Raspberry Pi, etc.), I'm still curious about your opinion about the speed of change, regardless of whether high dollar expenditures are unnecessary.)

Of course the other yet integral issue is how fast music catalogs are keeping up with the hardware changes to supply the new hardware with files that it can play. I just watched Darko discuss the Spotify move to CD quality (which he celebrates and for which explains the rationale), and it seems most of the music out there continues to exist at CD quality only, not higher resolution.

(Oh, and before someone chimes in with how analog beats digital so why bother...please don’t. I know you think that.)
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Showing 2 responses by bluemoodriver

It’s interesting that although music streaming is low on the priorities of Raspberry Pi’s designers, they still took the trouble in version 4 to improve the USB out and reduce noise. And the HATs which give us excellent SPDIF out are now measuring as good as anything out there at any price. The diminishing return after $150 is now vanishingly small. 
This DAC, the Khadas tone board, derived from a chip designed for mobile phones. 
https://www.khadas.com/tone
I’ve got one. Sounds great. And it objectively measures very well indeed. They publish their own figures and some verifications are here;

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-wesiontek-khad...

its $99...