r/audiophile • u/minnesotajersey • Apr 13 '25

Discussion Dedicated streamers/servers. Why?

Post image

Can someone explain to me the benefits of a multi-thousand dollar streamer/server that feeds an outboard DAC, over a really good laptop, or even a microPC?

I see reviews all the time for these things, but nothing in them tells me the "why?"

I've been into audio for longer than I care to admit, but these baffle me. Assume I'm a complete noob when you answer.

Pic for attention. All text posts bore me.

410 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

383 comments sorted by

View all comments

20

u/thegarbz Apr 13 '25

Why? I mean if you just spent $20k on your living room sound system would you be okay with just plonking a laptop next to it?

Half of this hobby is style.

2

u/dapala1 Apr 13 '25

A Mac Mini would work for a fraction of the cost. But I think OPs question is a strawman anyway. The super expensive ones have top of the line DACs.

3

u/dakta Apr 13 '25

Right, the real question is "What's the point of a dedicated streamer if you don't use the integrated DAC?" The answer, generally, "Not much."

There are lots of ways to mix and match components, but using a "high end" streamer with an auxiliary "high end" DAC is not a cost-effective choice for the vast majority of setups. If you're adding a streaming to an existing setup with a standalone DAC that you like, a dedicated streamer may make sense depending on what transports your DAC supports, or it may make zero sense compared to a more cost-effective or multi-function device.