2. digital
  3. 190027-170711

why expensive streamers

@soix and others

I am unclear about the effect on sound of streamers (prior to getting to the dac). Audio (even hi-res) has so little information content relative to the mega and giga bit communication and processing speeds (bandwidth, BW) and cheap buffering supported by modern electronics that it seems that any relatively cheap piece of electronics would never lose an audio bit. 

Here is why. Because of the huge amount of BW relative to the BW needs of audio, you can send the same audio chunk 100 times and use a bit checking algorithm (they call this "check sum") to make sure just one of these sets is correct. With this approach you would be assured that the correct bits would be transfered. This high accuracy rate would mean perfect audio bit transfer. 

What am I missing? Why are people spending 1000's on streamers?

thx

 

delmatae

Showing 1 response by hhudo

hhudo's avatar
hhudo
17 posts
 

Component with probably lowest sonic benefits, with ridiculous price ladder. 

Its basically a low noise ARM based computer with off the shelf components, decent power supply and variant of some Linux OS. Cheap to manufacture, crazy high profit margins.

Going from cheap PC to few hundred $ gives small sonic benefits, but then next step is 2-3k$ streamer, where i bet 95$ people wouldn't pass blind A/B test. 

I tried few cheap and expensive ones, but can't say expensive ones are worth the money, not even close, i would rather invest that in amp, speakers, room treatment. 
 

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