why expensive streamers

@mikhailark that is a great description of what is going on with the difference between digital and analog transfer.

In terms of noise in bits, assuming that source file has no noise, my understanding is that the only way transferred (not digital processed) bits can obtain "noise" is if they flip value during transmission due to things like line noise or jitter. If this occurs redundant (resending of the packet of audio bits) takes care of it and we have our original no noise source file.

@wlutke and others. Sorry for the tenor of my original post, I didn't mean to dig at peoples views. I really want to know why streamers can affect sound, given what seems like easy ways to protect the integrity of bits. I am hoping someone with technical knowledge can step in and explain how streams affect sound.

@invalid can you add the actual means that bit transfer is not perfect? I would like to know.

@jaytor thx for giving potential technical reasons for selecting one streamer over another, but I believe there is an easy solution for the issues you describe.WIth your assumption that streamers can get bits correctly to the DAC, all the DAC designer would need to do is put a simple memory between the input bits from the streamer and the rest of the DAC. This memory can be designed so each side has its own power supply and clocks. My understanding is that DAC analog noise and timing errors occur in the digital processing and conversion to analog circuitry. The memory would assure that the analog noise and timing errors from the server would not affect this DAC circuitry.

@andy2 there are many types of memory and storage. I am saying if there is an issue with noise coming through the streamer interace a designer could easily solve the issue. All they need to due is use something called an asynchronous fifo. The sole purpose of this fifo would be to take care of the streamer noise. The buffer memory you mention would be a conmpletely different piece of hardware performing a different function. I sure there are multiple different memory elements in a DAC.