Point of higher priced streamer?

Because it is not just a nice idea in theory, it is factual in practice. With asynchronous USB, there is absolutely no timing data incorporated in the data stream. None, zip, nada, 0.  It is not a matter of resolving arrival timing errors .... there are none to resolve. This statement shows gross ignorance about how the stuff he is supposed to be an expert on actually works.

Then comes the argument that the DAC will resolve all data arrival-timing errors by first buffering them and then re-clocking them before sending them onto the decoder chip. That’s a nice idea in theory but experience tells us otherwise.

You asked for one. I jumped through your hoop.  There are more errors in this document. But this is so gross an error to make all others pointless to point out.

Uhm, no hoop. I asked you to explain your position. You have and now I am going to go enjoy my fancy streamer. ;-)

PSAudio’s digital guru, Ted Smith, has some interesting thoughts on digital theory versus actual practice and listening experience. He posts frequently on their forums. No one is perfect, but he seems to have the knowledge, experience and practical expertise to explain many phenomena and the humility to shrug his shoulders about others. I hear what I hear and I am merely fascinated by what we discover as we learn more. There was a time when people doubted that minor firmware changes in DACS could result in clear changes in audible performance. Ted knows why. I heard those audible differences before I ever heard him explain it. My ears are my ultimate authority for what I purchase. I respect the scientific expertise necessary to build those products. I do not need to fully understand the science to enjoy the results. Nor am I troubled by those who doubt what I hear. All streamers are not created equal. That is what my ears tell me. If they all sound the same to someone else, I say, “Be Well and Prosper.”

it is our own fault and weakness when we give the trolls what they seek -- our energy and our response to their prodding...

@rhg88 This streamer thread has diverged to room correction. However, I am in total agreement with you on the room correct issue. I have an acoustically treated room and my software based room Digital Room Correction is very important piece in my system equation. I have perfect sound now in a really tiny crappy room with big speakers.

That altered digital stream of DRC bits from my ROON Server is sent via my streamer, a microRendu, to the USB input of my DAC. I think the content inside that stream is way more important than how it gets to my DAC. Why do I say that? Well, I just go into my ROON Server and toggle the switch to add DRC to the stream. When DRC is turned on the sound is glorious when it is turned off the room dominates with problems. The quality of my stream (subject of this thread) is a much lower concern until my room was dealt with.

BTW - I actually do not need to use the physical room acoustic treatments with the software DRC I am using. I kept them because I already had them in place before I did the software based DRC. My DRC runs on ROON Server.

More info on what I did is here.
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/room-correction-roon-rew-room-eq-wizard?highlight=Room%2BCorr...