pi3 sd card vs Pi4 wifi or ethernet sq

[KmPan]

If you have been able to measure a difference in the sound, based on the location and data transfer method used to copy the data from the server/storage location to the moode audio player, then it is easy to check your claims.

Save a file - doesn't matter what type - on a server. Save the same file on your local raspberry. Copy the file from the server to the raspberry and save it under a different filename. Repeat this and use WIFI instead of cable, exchange the cable, use cable with a different length. Exchange the PSU of the raspberry and/or save the file on a USB stick instead of a SD card if you want.

After you have done this, open a console and run

> shasum <filename>

for every file. This will calculate a checksum and show it on the screen. And only if this checksum is different, you have different data and this might result in different audio. Anything (what you think/believe you hear) is placebo.

However you can save yourself some time, because the files will be identical as long as you don't use damaged equipment (e.g. a corrupted hard drive). If my claim would be wrong, we would not only be able to experience differences in audio files but also in all other data transmitted between computer systems, and this would be the end of IT.

To add some more points: in the past days/weeks I tried a lot with my moode player (pi 4). Hooked it to different PSUs, used SSD drives, USB sticks, SD cards to store the system and data, used various network cables and wifi connections, changed the USB cable and even used the machine on three different DACs, all with the same result: The only possible way to change the audio quality is to exchange the chip used to transform the digital input to an analog audio signal. Any change on equipment on the digital side had and has zero influence on the sound quality, because only 0 and 1 are transmitted and these bits don't care if they are sent over copper, air or silver.