To add on to @audiotroy post (he sold me my first legit streamer, an Innuos Zenith) it boils down to less noise and depending on the streamer's output method (usb v spdif) better and more reliably precise clocking. A multipurpose pc is better than nothing and a single purpose device (like a streamer) can be optimized for the job at hand. Alot of small things really add up. best wishes.
Why is my expensive streamer to my DAC better than sending Roon or my Mac directly to DAC
I recently upgraded to a Lumin U1-X and it really sounds great, the DAC is ARC CD9. I was telling my son how great this upgraded unit sounds. He asked me " What does a streamer do, and why can't the Mac simple go directly to the DAC".
I was at a loss of words, other than I don't know but it sounds amazing.
Can anyone offer a better explanation? Thank you