minimserver file type output on Melco N1a without minimstreamer installed

[simoncn]

MinimStreamer transcoding is necessary if your DAC cannot handle the audio type and/or resolution (sample rate and bit depth) of some of your audio files on disk. For this use case, MinimStreamer would be doing format conversion and/or downsampling.

Some people find that format conversion and/or upsampling improves sound quality. A common example of this is using MinimStreamer to transcode 16-bit FLAC to 24-bit WAV without changing the sample rate. This difference can be more noticeable on some DACs than on others and some people do not hear any difference from doing this. The only way to find out if this has any benefit for you is to try it and listen.