Interesting topic.
However, IMHO, the discussion is quite haphazard as, perhaps, our forum knows a lot more about amps, preamps, analog sources, than perhaps the new digital stuff.
I’d suggest we first zone in on what qualities are important in a streamer. Decide on what attributes are really important rather than just naming the names of the 5000 or so streamers available. Then, name the streamers with the attributes that we feel are important towards improving SQ.
Does using a good linear power supply generally help? Is one better off with some PC / Mac running Windows / MacOS or should one use a barebones computer (like a NUC running Roon Rock)? Is galvanic isolation important? Should the streamer be connected to the DAC directly via a cable? If so, which kind of cable (this might be DAC-dependent)? Or should it go through via a network bridge (as Roon calls it) or a Network Audio Adapter (as HQPlayer calls it)? If so, then should the bridge be connected to the streamer via ethernet? Is there a benefit to using fiber optic cables instead (perhaps, using a device such as an opticalRendu)? If so, do ’audiophile grade switches’ make a difference? Should one use a reclocking device to improve jitter performance? Does using a good power cord into a source component (like a streamer and a DAC) make a bigger difference than using a good power cord into a downstream component (like a power amplifier)? Would my streamer need a good power cord? Does the quality of cable connection between the streamer --> network bridge / NAA or streamer --> DAC matter? Does the length of the cable & / or impedance matter?