I think the quoted portion of your post is vacuous. Every component in the chain processes the signal it recieves, digital or analogue. Each has an analogue output which has its own sound which is not going to be an exact copy of the input signal (If you could even describe what the input signal sounded like! I believe you can't - its just a WAG unless you happen to be in a recording studio comparing two different reproduction systems with the mic feed). The most obvious differences, not necessarily all though, are the result of the design of the analogue output stage in a DAC or CDP or whatever. IMHO of course.
BTW an 'utterly neutral signal path', a straight wire, is not 'utterly neutral', or at least so say many wire enthusiasts. :-)
BTW an 'utterly neutral signal path', a straight wire, is not 'utterly neutral', or at least so say many wire enthusiasts. :-)