I have a background in IT inc Networking for 45 years and technically like others have argued digital is just bits and bytes so as you are obviously a man of conviction and if it cannot be technically proven then you should not invest. BTW I hope you apply the same logic to Audio Routers, Audio Ethernet cables and Audio Power connections (note weeks of arguments with my sons who are both electricians).
My experiences are;
- electrical just make sure you have good power into your hifi room (dedicated circuit is best) and good shielded cables, heavier than domestic plugs and power points (some hospital grade kit I find good), remembering 10A is what the components are rated, most except Power Amps typically don't pull 10A.
- Network any Tier 1 router products and cabling (Cat6+) will do the job, its just about guaranteeing bandwidth, I also use Mesh Wifi 6, audio routers I just cannot make sense of ...
- Streaming well I relied on my high end Laptop with a custom built USB cable and was happy for quite a while but had this nagging question on transports, brought some cheapy Yamaha Musicast devices, okay then upgraded to Node 2i's, i have 2 Grouped on separate systems and use them to fill my house with music and they are quite good, better sound than the Yamaha. For my main listening systems I have a range of sources which split on the output of the DAC to each system and a while back purchased a Lumin U1 Mini (cheaper in Hong Kong), I find a lot more detail in the music compared with my Laptop or Node 2i and have swapped them in and out. Don't know what they do inside the unit technically but I am sold and it produces a better sound than my Vinyl (Lp12 and RP8).
My experiences are;
- electrical just make sure you have good power into your hifi room (dedicated circuit is best) and good shielded cables, heavier than domestic plugs and power points (some hospital grade kit I find good), remembering 10A is what the components are rated, most except Power Amps typically don't pull 10A.
- Network any Tier 1 router products and cabling (Cat6+) will do the job, its just about guaranteeing bandwidth, I also use Mesh Wifi 6, audio routers I just cannot make sense of ...
- Streaming well I relied on my high end Laptop with a custom built USB cable and was happy for quite a while but had this nagging question on transports, brought some cheapy Yamaha Musicast devices, okay then upgraded to Node 2i's, i have 2 Grouped on separate systems and use them to fill my house with music and they are quite good, better sound than the Yamaha. For my main listening systems I have a range of sources which split on the output of the DAC to each system and a while back purchased a Lumin U1 Mini (cheaper in Hong Kong), I find a lot more detail in the music compared with my Laptop or Node 2i and have swapped them in and out. Don't know what they do inside the unit technically but I am sold and it produces a better sound than my Vinyl (Lp12 and RP8).