Great question and one I’ve been wondering as well. My thinking is aside from what the streamers actually do, e.g., receive data packets over WiFi, Ethernet, etc., I do know that the design matters and the quality of the components matter. I personally don’t have enough experience in comparing different streamers to know how much all this affect the sound quality but I would not be surprised if they did.
Does a streamer do anything to the data that Tidal provides?
I have been streaming Tidal to my HiFi for the past 4 years with a streamer and a DAC connected to my amplifier (Raumfeld streamer to Musical Fidelity DAC and also Musical Fidelity Amp). I also have an all-in-one system for my summer house (Naim Muso Qb). So, I know the basics and I am only interested in streaming from Tidal.
What I struggle to understand is, what the streamer does apart from transporting the digital signal and therefore why it could make sense to invest in an expensive streamer.
I understand what Digital to Analogue Conversion does and that it makes sense to ensure a good quality, but isn't the streamer just a transporter of data? Does the streamer do anything to the data that Tidal delivers apart from receiving them and sending them to the DAC?
Thanks in advance, Michael
What I struggle to understand is, what the streamer does apart from transporting the digital signal and therefore why it could make sense to invest in an expensive streamer.
I understand what Digital to Analogue Conversion does and that it makes sense to ensure a good quality, but isn't the streamer just a transporter of data? Does the streamer do anything to the data that Tidal delivers apart from receiving them and sending them to the DAC?
Thanks in advance, Michael