I have made the comparison on several occasions and playing a file from your hard drive sounds better than streaming. It is counterintuitive. It is only numbers and should sound identical, but it does not. I stream tio check out new music.
Not at all Dave. You get a Qobuz subscription and stream with your computer through a USB input on your DAC. Getting a dedicated streamer is IMHO not at all necessary and a waste of money. We all have computers now and many of us have DACs. It is very convenient but not the very best sound. It is a great way to check out new music.