You have a broad spectrum of replies that reflects the following homilies
”Price is what you psy,…Value is what you get”….. and … “One-size does not fit all…”
MT EXPERIENCE
Visit your fave bricks and mortar audio dealer and do a bake-off audition between a budget unit ( say BLUESOUND); and a high-end build streamer/dac.
Assuming you have the requisite resolution capabilities with a full high-end audio system, the step-up unit audio performance will not be insignificant.
Ethernet cables also matter..Direst Ethernet cable from router to your streamer/dac connection is always a step-up from wireless. Upgrades to premium cables with silver over copper construction and properly insulated sheathing with Telegartner connectors do matter .
Quality build linear power supplies (internal or external) are another big-time performance uptick.
You do get what you pay for. The DAC and the Streamer sections both need premium design and build quality … and that is a function of price too. Many believe that the secret to a good DAC lies in just choosing a “high-end” converter chip. But,,,,we know that the essence of the musicality also resides in the line signal processing stages, the power supplies (transformers, filtering, regulation,… ), the digital signal processing before conversion, the quality of the key components: clocks, transistors, capacitors, op amp upgrades etc.
TAKEAWAY
Starting out in the digital ,streaming world , it’s frequently a fork in the road pathway between an option that is “ good” versus “ good enough” . There is a marked-difference.
Just buying blindly and hoping is poor…. Hoping is not a strategy for a better option. Budgets are usually in tension with best wish lists that may invoke compromises.