Point of higher priced streamer?


Hello,
Assuming I have separate DAC, and I just want to play songs from iPad by Airplay feature.
In this case, I need a streamer to receive music from my iPad -> DAC.

What’s the point of high price streamer? I’m bit surprised that some streamers are very high priced.
From my understanding, there should be no sound quality difference.
(Streaming reliability and build quality, I can see it but I do not see advantages in terms of sound quality.)

Am I missing something? If so, please share some wisdom.
128x128sangbro
@Sangbro  I'm sure everyone has an opinion, here's mine. Speakers ProAc K6 signatures or if they are to big K3.. or even the New K1 with the matching stands. I've owned many speakers in my 62 years from Apogee to Quads.. I've never found a speaker that's as listenable for hours with no fatigue as ProAc. Plus ProAc really sound best with Tubes or Class A so your Pass will work great.

Streamer: Auralic Aries G1 or G2..

 Dac: Chord Dave or Hugo TT2, maybe add MScaler.. 

Power: Shunyata Everest or Denali , Shunyata Power cords

Cables: Audience AU24-SX , Cardas Clear Beyond

Good luck..FYI I own or have owned everything I've recommended and I've been doing audio as a profession and hobby for 50 years.


@djones51 is correct.

The point of getting a dedicated streamer is that some may like the UI of a particular streamer, the instant on feature and the idea that there are no other services getting in the way to slow things down and cause dropouts like on a computer. There is no sound difference. Both receive the same digital file via packets using error correction. No mystery here. Networks have worked this way for decades (even before I started in the field way back when). Here is a very simple video from a Spotify engineer explaining the process.

As I have a dedicated laptop, I don't find any need for a streamer. But realistically, I stream through Alexa 95% of the time. Both methods send wirelessly to my DTS Play-Fi device.
@thyname, there is no wall here. If you all so sure about a $5000 streamer (no DAC) being so much better than a $100-$200 setup, why don’t you also tell us how they accomplish this, so we can all be properly educated?
how do you improve your ethernet or wireless connections? Did you install ‘better’ cabling to your house?
how are the high end streamers making digital signals (yes 1s and 0s) so much better than cheaper setups? How do you make those network packets ‘better’? After all, streamers ‘tell’ DACs how to recreate the audio. They transport/stream only the instructions.  High end streamers do not provide ‘better’ instructions than low end streamers.  Instructions are the same!
I spend my money on speakers, passive crossovers, DACs, class-A amplifiers and room improvements. Just don’t want to throw away money unnecessarily.

Hey Guys and Gal(s):  Maybe some streamers sound better on some systems for a very simple reason:  The system is better and can reproduce the differences.  An example:  With either my Bryston amp or preamp, or just my Audire Diffet 2 with my Audire amps,  my second generation B&W's 803's with subs do not display any ascertainable differences between my Kenwood KT-917, and an fmtuner.com, marginally higher rated B&K TS 108.  With my Audire Diffet 3 preamp, the bass is a slightly bit tighter.  With the, Audire Legato inserted, everything sounds less crisp, but still a bit better than the Bryston preamp, which is even more cajone deficient down low than the Legato.  Put these various streamers into the combos above, and some differences will appear with the Diffet 3 preamps and Audire amps; differences that will not appear with the other quite good equipment, for its era.  New era better?  I should hope so, but most is far from it,  even well touted stuff.  I was given excellent Classe amps and preamps, and did not keep them.
Oh definitely a wall. It was discussed many moons ago how and why a streamer can improve playback. And as I said, any discussion is theory, the proof in the pudding is experience and experimenting. As in good old listening.

And the others told you already: it is NOT about “the packets”. But again, the Wall issue, so there is that.

Unfortunately I don’t see your equipment under the Systems here in Audiogon. What is your DAC?