Using samsung tv as Spotify streamer - optical output

[NJ coffee roaster]

Optical output of my samsung tv with Spotify app set to lossless connected to minidsp flex which functions as dac/preamp/eq.

My assumption is that this is essentially transparent as I am not using the dac in the tv, and that I would not get any sound improvement switching to another digital streamer with optical out.

Is this assumption correct?

 

[voodooless]

Is this assumption correct?

Maybe… check if the sample rate on the MiniDSP matches the Spotify source. Many TVs are locked at 48 kHz, and will therefore resample any sample rate that does not match. TVs aren’t exactly known for the best resampling algorithms. Having said that, there may not be audible issues even if this happens.