Lets see if this will help.
Streamers are dedicated devices designed to play files sourced from internet repositories ie tidal ouobuz. Spotify deezer or internet radio
If the device is roon certified then it can act as an endpoint a receiver of roon and compatible with their protocols.
If the streamer contains a hard drive and can store files it can be called a server.
A streamerdepending on model some run wifi. Naims ndx 2 runs well via wifi.
However the best sounding does require ethernet.
As per sound quality yes these devices matter
We were auralic dealers the Innous sounded far better
Then we discovered 432evo servers from Belgium which sounded even better and were more s ular and upgradable
To date we have tested many different devices for streaming
The better the source the better the sound from the Dac
Digital noise can alter the data so you want a pure data stream.
Our 432evo servers are a huge technological improvement over most digital devices because of the incredibile level of data isolation provided
Cou is seperate so is the clock and usb soundcard all run by individual sbooster linear power supplies.
Andrew quint from the absolute sound heard one and bought the review sample
Come to axponna krell alta audio room and you can hear the432Aeon server for yourself.
Dave and Troy
AUDIOINTELLECT NJ
432Evo importer USA