What makes One Music Server Sound Better than Another?

.  I have a fairly powerful machine currently running at 60x,

@jji666 and that is why it won't sound as good as dedicated music servers. 

@jji666 

That isn't to say that fancy servers don't have their advantages in terms of other functions and features, support, being well built, and looking cool.  But over a network, the packets don't know if they are coming from a supercomputer or a networked doorbell.  

It is not about the packets, it is not about the bitperfect-ness, the data will get there regardless, it is about noise. Read the link I posted previously from Antipodes. 

Imagine someone throwing a floating candy in a stream of water, and then 1 mile downstream you pick the candy out of the stream and eat it. A low grade computer is a contaminated sewer infested stream, with industrial waste, dark brown in color. A high end music server dedicated to audio the stream is pristine, perfectly clean, pure water. You get the candy with either stream, it is the same piece of candy either way, but which one would you eat. 

Imagine someone throwing a floating candy in a stream of water, and then 1 mile downstream you pick the candy out of the stream and eat it. A low grade computer is a contaminated sewer infested stream, with industrial waste, dark brown in color. A high end music server dedicated to audio the stream is pristine, perfectly clean, pure water. You get the candy with either stream, it is the same piece of candy either way, but which one would you eat. 

I think you just nullified your own argument?  I'm not saying that to get into a fight - but you say it is the same piece of candy either way.  Yes it is the same, identical, exactly the same, not different, not dirtier, piece of candy.

In an IP network, the candy is broken down and re-integrated at the receiving end, exactly as it was before.  Other than the lag it would cause, it could go around the world, into space through a satellite, and back down and be the same.

What you are saying is that a dirtier computer sends different bits.  It does not, or it would not be bit perfect.

It just doesn't and can't work the way you describe.  Sewer infested stream, brown water, those are analog concepts if they can be applied at all.  What comes out of the network card, over the cable, and to the switch is identical regardless of your pollution analogy.  The network doesn't care about the brown water in the server.  It just doesn't.  

I am not saying that you should not purchase fancy servers.  But don't purchase them for sound quality unless you insist on plugging the DAC directly into it without using a streamer, which isn't a best practice according to Roon.  

Have you ever tried to catch a chicken?  

Imagine someone throwing a floating candy in a stream of water, and then 1 mile downstream you pick the candy out of the stream

Read the link I posted previously from Antipodes

OK, so we have chicken, word salad from Antipodes, and candy. At least we won't go hungry.  But the SQ remains the same.  Digital logic, especially in IP networks, simply isn't amenable to analog logic, much less analog metaphors.

What can account for significant sonic differences despite being bit perfect has to do with the timing of the data stream as well as embedded noise and jitter. 

This *could* apply to the digital transmission of data from a computer or other digital device via USB to a DAC, which is a kind of a stream.  Technology has addressed it a long time ago, but theoretically at least your concern above could apply.

Doesn't apply to IP networks.  The packets are reassembled, anything missing is requested and reintegrated, before that info goes anywhere.  The buffer assures there is sufficient data for continuous music.  If that failed, you'd hear a dropout, not less depth and bloom.  

I think you just nullified your own argument? I’m not saying that to get into a fight - but you say it is the same piece of candy either way. Yes it is the same, identical, exactly the same, not different, not dirtier, piece of candy.

Okay well I tried :) But did you read the link? It does a pretty good job of explaining "why".

I think you just need to go a good audio dealer and ask them to play you your favourite track with a macbook and then a high end streamer to prove it.

I just received a high end streamer, and I proved it to myself. I don't need to read anything from anybody anymore. I know the truth.