Hello good people of the ASR forum. Newbie here with a few questions about streamers vs computers. For context, my system is a McIntosh C52 preamp -- McIntosh MC302 power amp -- B&W speakers. My listening is divided fairly evenly among vinyl, cds, and hi-res files on my computer (I currently use JRiver). Streamers are seeming quite a bit more convenient to me than playing music off of my laptop. With the advent of touchscreens/apps for control, native file storage, and the integration of streaming services, I'm very much considering adding a streamer to my system. If anyone could shed some light on a few questions, I would really appreciate it.
1. My main goal with a streamer would be to centralize all my music files and streaming service playback in one place. I would be using the DAC on my C52 so I don't really need a streamer with a built-in DAC. However, because my aim is ease of use (ie using an app to switch seamlessly between playback of my personal digital collection and Apple Music/Tidal), I'm not opposed to buying a streamer w/ DAC if it offers a more convenient functionality. That said, do most streamers allow for their internal DACs to be completely bypassed?
2. Assuming I can bypass any internal DAC on a streamer and send the music straight to my C52, is there any significant difference in audio quality among different streamers. For instance, would a song streaming from Tidal sound any better or worse coming off of a Bluesound Node vs a Lumin U2?
3. I've read claims that streamers sound "better" than computers when it comes to playback of digital files/streaming services? Is there any truth to this or is it just hi-fi hocus pocus? (I realize that DACs can vary widely in audio quality, but again, I'm just concerned about the digital streaming aspect, not conversion).
4. I use USB to playback my JRiver library through my system. Most streamers I'm considering offer USB and Coaxial as a digital out. Is there any significant difference in audio quality between USB and Coaxial for playback?
1. My main goal with a streamer would be to centralize all my music files and streaming service playback in one place. I would be using the DAC on my C52 so I don't really need a streamer with a built-in DAC. However, because my aim is ease of use (ie using an app to switch seamlessly between playback of my personal digital collection and Apple Music/Tidal), I'm not opposed to buying a streamer w/ DAC if it offers a more convenient functionality. That said, do most streamers allow for their internal DACs to be completely bypassed?
2. Assuming I can bypass any internal DAC on a streamer and send the music straight to my C52, is there any significant difference in audio quality among different streamers. For instance, would a song streaming from Tidal sound any better or worse coming off of a Bluesound Node vs a Lumin U2?
3. I've read claims that streamers sound "better" than computers when it comes to playback of digital files/streaming services? Is there any truth to this or is it just hi-fi hocus pocus? (I realize that DACs can vary widely in audio quality, but again, I'm just concerned about the digital streaming aspect, not conversion).
4. I use USB to playback my JRiver library through my system. Most streamers I'm considering offer USB and Coaxial as a digital out. Is there any significant difference in audio quality between USB and Coaxial for playback?