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

Not too surprised by this streaming discussion. It’s apparent that if you have a well performing system, you will see bigger gains in other areas as the streaming factors have been advancing steadily over recent years.

The streamer vs. DAC chatter is an interesting one but amplification quality with speakers are big drivers and IMHO, the amplifier is the first place for investment then speakers. There’s a great level of improvement in the DAC and streamer world. Factoring in those gains is getting harder as the improvements in recent years with the tech have rapidly filled gaps.

I’d like to do more testing on the streamer side. I’ve made gains with fiber internet, then CISCO boxes and fiber running to a streamer. It sounds great in my system even compared against an M1 MacBook Air running Roon direct.

Roon seems to have made strong improvement to sound quality of late and running it direct through systems output versus a WiiM Pro with 5v external ps to an RME ADI-2 DAC is outstanding. I run unique tube amp mono blocks and recapped McIntosh LS340 floor standing speakers. 

Have never seen such a narrowing of sound quality differential with Roon direct streaming vs. RAAT streaming to date. That says a lot about the gap narrowing with the right choices along the way. Fiber is probably the biggest game changer (from fiber router) making these gains possible. YMMV

Yes, @mclinnguy, there’s numerous factors to weigh and consider often system dependent. As another small example, the Cisco Meraki was better than the Cisco Catalyst 2960. Had read about Meraki couplings and other adjustments. Removed the power supplies from the two Merakis and thought that was also a nice improvement. No digging into the settings needed on any of them. More improvement with choice of SFP too.

That narrowed the performance but the RME ADI-2 is the master via USB and so that application remained superior streaming via computer versus optical out from the WiiM Pro. (That too has changed ironically going back to Roon. Now Roon on the M1 MacBook Air is more dynamic and superior even using glass toslink.)

In some earlier configurations, I didn’t see improvement but learned along the way and have seen a remarkable improvement with the fiber aspects here starting from a Verizon fiber router to the streamer. Additionally, although I’m not a big cable guy, on the ethernet front I’ve seen a nice uptick in performance using Blue Jeans ethernet cables.

As the streamer technology continues to narrow audible improvement, performance is likely to be succeeded by elegance, usability options and ease of implementation. From this perspective, DACs may be more interesting in performance differences although I remain a believer in starting with the best amplification one can obtain, IMHO.

@lalitk

Can’t take any credit on the amplifier focus at onset as I heard it mentioned originally by Mike Moffat or Schiit Audio. He emphasized some years ago that the DAC craze was out of hand and the changes between varied ones was not that large and more significant gains would be found by focusing on amplification.

Think about it. A guy who at that time was in the DAC business pointing in another direction entirely: amplification. What a legend.

As for the copper ethernet vs. fiber discussion, I’ve made connections and seen how that goes with varied system iterations. Have seen copper beat fiber and vice versa. Think a router from a service like Verizon with fiber-optic internet is easily superior to other offerings and so if that’s available, an entire system review is warranted.