This is not really anything new as the technology has been around for a while now; in my opinion, it is more a new way of thinking about what constitutes a high end system. A network attached storage (NAS) sits in the corner of your room, far away from the system as to not contribute any noise. Then, a simple computer system, like the the battery-powered mini laptops they sell today (or a dedicated unit e.g. Squeezebox, whichever you prefer), streams the lossless files from your NAS through a USB/DAC to your existing sound system. You could even set up your mobile phone as a remote control, or use the NAS as a webserver in case you're on-the-go.
Theoretically, the audio quality should be equivalent to playing CDs on a transport, since a quality DAC should eliminate jitter, but there are all kinds of voodoo that will influence people's decisions that I won't get into.
Theoretically, the audio quality should be equivalent to playing CDs on a transport, since a quality DAC should eliminate jitter, but there are all kinds of voodoo that will influence people's decisions that I won't get into.