For pure digital output from a streamer, do most players sound pretty much the same?

[Faker_Hifi]

When using a pure digital output on a streaming media player, does the sound quality vary much between different players?
For digital and coaxial outputs, is it true that the measurement data here will always be better? Is it difficult to claim that expensive gear necessarily sounds better than cheaper ones? Or does a higher price always lead to better sound? Given similar measurement data, let's take a concrete example: the WiiM Pro Plus and the Lindemann Bridge. The DAC in the Bridge measured poorly, but if we only use their digital outputs, which one would sound better?

 

[Mnyb]

The digital out would sound exactly the same in almost all cases not only just similar they will be literally the same .

Note that streamers have software such as volume control and EQ . And also some streamers like the WiiM can sample rate convert the digital out . So then we are at similar but functionally the same .

 

[Faker_Hifi]

The digital out would sound exactly the same in almost all cases not only just similar they will be literally the same .

Note that streamers have software such as volume control and EQ . And also some streamers like the WiiM can sample rate convert the digital out . So then we are at similar but functionally the same .

Thank you for the reply. So, what actually determines the sound quality of the coaxial output? Don't many digital output sections also have different circuit processing, isolation, etc.? How does WiiM perform in this regard? I don't really know how to evaluate this. Thanks.

 

[antcollinet]

When using a pure digital output on a streaming media player, does the sound quality vary much between different players?
For digital and coaxial outputs, is it true that the measurement data here will always be better? Is it difficult to claim that expensive gear necessarily sounds better than cheaper ones? Or does a higher price always lead to better sound? Given similar measurement data, let's take a concrete example: the WiiM Pro Plus and the Lindemann Bridge. The DAC in the Bridge measured poorly, but if we only use their digital outputs, which one would sound better?

All players sound absolutely 100% identical from a digital output as long as they are not performing any DSP (eq, tone controls etc).

 

[antcollinet]

Thank you for the reply. So, what actually determines the sound quality of the coaxial output? Don't many digital output sections also have different circuit processing, isolation, etc.? How does WiiM perform in this regard? I don't really know how to evaluate this. Thanks.

Bits are bits - as long as they are properly detected there is no change to the sound. If they are not detected correctly you know about it because (due to the nature of digital audio) the result is pops, clicks and dropouts - there will be no subtle changes to tone or soundstage - or any of the other nonsense that some audiophiles like to ascribe to digital audio differences.

You don't need to evaluate anything. If you use a digital output - as long as it works correctly (None of the pops clicks I mentioned) then the result is perfect transmission of the audio.

Some audiophiles of a particular breed might throw the bogey man of Jitter at you. This is nonsense. Modern well designed dacs reject incoming jitter well below audible levels and have done for decades.

 

[antcollinet]

Example : Here is what you get from Toslink on the Wiim mini. Perfection:

 

[Multicore]

Some streamers cannot play tracks without gaps and some that can can't do so without an audible click. To that extent they can sound different.

 

[antcollinet]

Some streamers cannot play tracks without gaps and some that can can't do so without an audible click. To that extent they can sound different.

But this has nothing to do with the digital output. The same is the case if using the analogue output.

But you are correct - these are the types of differences we should be focussing on when discussing streamers. Features, services supported, and the ability to play gapless and switch bit rates without clicking (which basically means bug free operation)

 

[Mnyb]

Yes it usually works until it doesn’t not subtle at all . Modern DAC’s ( most of them the last decades ) mitigate problem sources quite well , even if the source are noisy and somewhat not spot on , if it can lock onto the signal it can fish out the bits and we are happy