Discerning a difference between streamers is difficult...only me or common for all?

I’m not going to doubt what you heared but…

Some of the things that can mask the difference between components and cables in a system:

1. Room acoustics

2. Speaker positioning

3. Objects like large furniture between listening chair and speakers

4. Excessive bass

Something to consider when you’re comparing components. But you said you hear large differences in phono stages so perhaps your system is streamer/transport agnostic. Have you tried a CD transport compared to your streamer?

I’ll list what I tried…

1. Mac Mini 2008 with its outboard power supply

2. Mac Mini 2018

3. Auralic Aries G1

4. Lumin U1 Mini

5. Bricasti M3 network renderer as Roon endpoint 

6. Aurender N200

7. WiiM Pro

When my 2008 mac mini crapped out and I replaced it with the 2018 version I noticed a slight degradation in sound quality. 
Bought Auralic Aries G1. Way better than Mac Mini. Lightning DS software was very good, sounded better using LDS than it did as a Roon endpoint. 
Lumin U1 Mini - slightly smoother sound than the Auralic. Hideous UI. Good as Roon endpoint. 
Bricasti M3 network card - virtually indistinguishable sonically from U1 Mini as Roon endpoint. Sold U1 Mini. Neither of these were any good as streamers. A cheap Audiolab 6000CDT transport spinning CD destroyed Roon. 
Bought Aurender N200 to try. Stands up to and in most cased exceeds CD quality streaming CD files and hires Qobuz. Much better than Lumin U1 Mini and the Bricasti M3 network card. Tried it with Roon and prefer the sound of the Conductor app/processing. Solid, stable and great sounding streamer. Sold my very decent analog setup as I just stopped playing vinyl records - streaming sounds excellent!

As to WiiM Pro, I tried it and returned it. Sounded like 💩

So my experience differs from some in this thread. Oh and I’ve used the Aurender with 3 different DACs, with Pass Labs separates and 2 different integrated amplifiers. No issues with sound quality. Natural, detailed, engaging presentation. 
 

@dhite71 any plans to post your system pictures? 

@dogearedaudio add to everything you mentioned the differences in clocks between different streamers.

In the OP’s example an ARC DAC 8 was used with 2 streamers - BS Node and Aurender N10. To the best of my knowledge the DAC 8 isn’t compatible with the Linux based Aurender N10 so that takes using USB out.

We’re now comparing N10 vs BS Node driving DAC8 via SPDIF coax cable. In this case, the Aurender’s superior OCXO clock is being leveraged. BS Node clock is nowhere nearly as good. This alone would make a pretty big difference. But the OP doesn’t hear enough to appreciate the change. Add to this the Aurender signal processing that caches the data onto the internal drive. This results in much cleaner data feed to the DAC. Compared to BS Node that uses small buffer area.
Another key difference between the two streamers.

Same applies to using DAC 9 now when comparing the next level up BS to Aurender W20

And the outcome is the cached digital files clocked by the super precise OCXO in the Aurender didn’t sound any different than the buffered data stream out of BS Node? Or the difference was so subtle that it wasn’t enough to appreciate?

I’m not going to call 🐂 💩 but I will question this.

To add…I’m not familiar with DAC 9 but I did own CD3 MkII back in a day with LS-25 and Ref 1 preamps. Huge fan of Audio Research and loved the CD3.
I’ve also had Ref 6 in my system recently and compared it to Pass XP-22 driving X260.8 amps into Wilson Sabrina. So our systems are somewhat similar.
I usually agree with @lalitk but this time I have to respectfully disagree at least when it comes to Ref 6. In my experience it doesn’t homogenize anything upstream. I also can’t see how DAC 9 can possibly be streamer agnostic but react to digital cable changes. 

@dhite71 when you’re on Audiogon home page click on the hamburger menu at top right, then click your username, click My Virtual Systems. When you get to next page couck the Action drop down and select edit. You should be able to see the option to add images.

I said I won’t call BS but I will question your findings. Not the same as considering calling BS.

There are too many factors that can impact the difference you perceive between streamers or DACs or any other components when compared. This includes what I mentioned in my original post as well as how you compare…meaning the actual method/strategy used to compare components. In example you have both streamers playing the same song from qobuz and they’re connected to different inputs on your DAC and you repeatedly and rapidly switch back and forth as opposed to taking your time with each unit to analyze the sound and other attributes and make notes on sonic characteristics of each. When you compare phono amps, you take your time to listen to each unit playing at least one full song before you flip to the other phono stage that involves disconnecting and reconnecting. Just few examples.
There is an approach to everything.

If you hear different digital cables sound different but you can’t discern differences between streamers, it’s fine by me. I’m just questioning your approach. There’s not enough information in your OP to go by

@mdalton you may have nailed it. And it would support @lalitk findings as well.
@lalitk I only spoke about the Ref 6. It’s crazy if the DAC just homogenizes all digital sources.

But….how does all this explain differences the OP is hearing between digital cables?

@dhite71 yes excellent discussion! I now know if I sell my Bricasti DAC and get an ARC DAC9 I can also sell my Aurender, pick up a $450 BS Node, and pocket the cash from the Aurender sale! I am only half joking here by the way LOL

Coax is susceptible to RFI yes and that translates to jitter. But two different model cables from AQ…I’ve experienced pretty big difference in signal cables and USB but never with coax. Plus the DAC will reclock it anyway.

I’m letting it go but putting the DAC 9 on the list for when I get sick and tired of differences between streamers. Hehehe

Cool it mdalton. I’m letting it go for me not for OP. I was trying to understand the underlying reasons. That’s all. 

Also…EMI on digital cables does impact timing (voltage fluctuations) and that’s jitter as far as clocking is concerned.

@mtbiker29 
sounds like you were comparing these units as full featured using their DACs. And all three DACs sounded more or less the same with you quantifying about 1% difference between the three? Can you even hear a 1% difference? I know I can’t. You must have extremely sensitive hearing. But then again all these units sounded the same to you. I’m confused. Can anyone help me sort thru this 🐂 💩…someone should be buying Taylor Swift tickets…

Copper->Fiber->Copper didn’t work for me. Glassy and artificial in my system. 
I agree on the amplification being almost as critical as the speakers. Amplifiers make a huge difference. But…GIGO. You will hear all the upstream nasties better. On the other hand upgrade the source with a crappy amp and you have a bottleneck - you wasted $ and you’re unable to realize your source components full potential. It’s an endless loop but getting the amp right is still the most important piece (once your speakers and room acoustics are addressed). 

@lalitk yes. 
couple of things for the benefit of clarifying the unit you’re referring to…

Telegartner Opt Bridge 1000M Is an optical isolator. Copper in, all optical conversion takes place inside the unit, then copper out…please correct me if I’m wrong. We can think of this as an optical Ethernet filter, similar in concept to Network Acoustics but uses active approach that leverages high quality copper to fiber optic to copper conversion. It is a high end audio purpose built unit. I’m intrigued I admit but at the same time $2,900 is kind of steep at least within the contexts of my system.  I still have room to grow with DAC for example. I am keeping the Opt Bridge in a back pocket for further consideration.  Thank you for bringing this up to my attention!

To add…the cheap fiber optic converters that are used by some in their systems add noise to the AC line with their SMPS, they produce EMI that affects other components and cables and this results in loss of dynamics, smearing and thin, artificial sound. If you isolate them away from the system, use LPS and run a long Ethernet cable to streamer you mitigate the EMI but you still don mitigate the noise the converter itself poops back out into the outbound Ethernet cable. It kind of negates the issues at best.
All this plus the cable spaghetti you get with it all isn’t worth the trouble. At least to me. In my opinion, until you have the best possible components I wouldn’t waste a dime on these tweaks. Just my $0.02

@lalitk 👍

Here’s a cheaper version…

https://www.musicdirect.com/equipment/accessories/ifi-lan-ipurifier-pro/

@lalitk for the price and with Music Direct return policy I might try it at some point. 

@dhite71 nice system! See if your daughter can hear difference between streamers…sounds like she’s got a good ear!