One thing I’ve read is that using a dedicated streamer between nucleus and Dac would help reduce noise since the dedicated streamer may clean up the signal as it goes to the Dac thrum USB. How about installing a jitterbug from the nucleus usb out the go direct to the Dac? Would that accomplish the same?
Better yet, get a Raspberry Pi 4 running RoPieee or RoPieeeXL and use Roon RAAT over your wired network.
It doesn’t matter what you use, but the sound quality when connected directly to the USB will not be the same as a good endpoint. Personal experience, direct connection of Nucleus to USB vs Lumin U1mini, via the network(RAAT).
On my setup I hear no difference if connected via USB or via en endpoint to same DAC. If your DACs worth its salt it will be fine.
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In my setup (see details in my profile) audible noise from the fanless PC’s poor internal power converter board audibly made it into the analog DAC output.
No grounding scheme, nor completely removing the USB +5VDC and GND connections helped.
Using wired/wireless RPI3B+/RPI4 with Ropieee/DietPi/RPi-OS did away with that but introduced more or less random slight ticks mid-song, which I couldn’t completely fix.
Inserting a true galvanic isolator – not too many available – capable of high-speed USB – even less of those available – completely remedied the problem.
Anything added without audible/measurable impact just adds unnecessary complexity.
A streaming DAC is the answer. Spend as little or as much as you want, DIY with a Pi or off the shelf but remove USB from the signal path if at all possible.
I don’t think there are any hard and fast rules here. I use USB from Nucleus to DAC, with nothing added, and, after a lot of to-ing and fro-ing, I prefer this when compared to streaming via a dCS bridge.
Can you hear noise? If not, then don’t worry. Having said that, adding in an Raspberry Pi is a cheap and workable solution.
Bottom line, the AudioQuest Jitterbug does one only one thing: it filters your bank account, reducing your balance by $60.