BillG
Major Contributor
"anything coming from a local drive should render better audio performance than the same files coming over a network..."
Better performance based upon what criteria?
I frequently switch between local playback on a PC into my integrated amplifier via USB, or networked delivery from that PC via WiFi to a Chromecast Audio into the same amp. Other than lacking the facility to more precisely equalize the frequency response (which I can work around, depending upon the server package I use, but haven't bothered to) the performance is identical.
The DACs in my devices don't care where the data is coming from, as long as the corresponding receivers are properly implemented, and neither does anyone else's.
Better performance based upon what criteria?
I frequently switch between local playback on a PC into my integrated amplifier via USB, or networked delivery from that PC via WiFi to a Chromecast Audio into the same amp. Other than lacking the facility to more precisely equalize the frequency response (which I can work around, depending upon the server package I use, but haven't bothered to) the performance is identical.
The DACs in my devices don't care where the data is coming from, as long as the corresponding receivers are properly implemented, and neither does anyone else's.