Do streamers make a difference?

Playback Designs also has a streamer, the MPS – X. It’s role is similar to the Nagra in terms of accepting an ethernet stream and then converting it to an optical format. 

Apparently even using it without the optical interface with other manufacturers’ components has benefits: 

MPS-X + LampizatOr Pacific 2

In the last part of the test, I use Playback Designs MPS-X as a digital frontend for my LampizatOr Pacific 2 with JCAT XACT-S1 (see the review  HERE) as the source of the signal. I connect the latter first directly to my DAC via USB and later connect the server to MPS-X also via USB and forward the signal to LampizatOr using KBL Sound Prism coaxial SPDIF cable. I play the excellent Renaud Garcia-Fons Trio’s „Arcoluz” (24/48 PCM) album. It sounds fantastic played by Pacific 2 alone. The sound is open, highly energetic, pure, transparent, resolving, but also smooth, naturally warm, and just incredibly enjoyable.

Now I make a switch – the USB cable connects XACT-S1 with MPS-X and the latter sends a signal to Pacific 2 via Prism coaxial cable. So there is one more cable and whole digital interface (coaxial) involved which complicates things and in many cases, it could negatively impact the sound quality. And yet, it is obvious immediately that the Playback Designs digital front end perfectly does its job. It’s like there is even more sound in the sound, as there is more essence to it, or to put it differently as if what comes from speakers becomes closer to a live performance. There is more energy in the sound, it is even more open, and it’s free as if there were some limiters there before that didn’t allow the sound to fully spread its wings.

https://hifiknights.com/reviews/sources/playback-designs-mpd-6-mps-x/

@mitch2 

In my system, where I use Roon to stream Tidal and Qobuz, and to manage stored music files, I notice significant sonic differences between the sound of streamers (i.e., Roon endpoints), and little to no differences between servers running Roon Core.  

I suggest the next curiosity for @tcutter is to demo a "nice" server in place of his Nucleus core, use the same connections, and let us know if he detects any differences. 

I am very confident that higher end streamers will definitely sound better but I am also  confident that the difference is marginal as it depends on the rest of your system to be ascertain the difference... and at what $$$$ ?

For me, good enough is good enough and I’d rather set aside the $$$ for other pursuits.

"As such I have disabled the Roon core function of my Grimm and use it as streamer only to the Tambaqui.  This system now sounds better with the Scion running Core, so my findings differ with thoughts that core machines don't affect sound."

@fastfreight - Consider also, the possibility that the improvements you hear may be the result of separating the noisier, power hungry, computing functions of Roon Core/Server from the streamer/endpoint duties now being solely performed by your Grimm MU1.

+1 Fastfreight. My 3rd streamer was the Grimm MU1 and it was a shockingly better sound than the then 10 year old dCS Vivaldi upsamper I think it was called. 6 months ago I demoed the Pink Faun Scion and was very impressed so I blindly bought the Pink Faun Ultra with the USB card, Wow. Then I upgraded to the Farad 10amp LPS that powers only the USB card. It was another wow! Every ungrade has been a worthwhile sonic advance. I forsee the density of the digital  recordings increasing and the streaming equipment advances making continued improvments as we approach the sonic holy grail.

I did find the OPs title to be triggering for me. I guess I have had too much coffee as the flat Earthers get me going every time.

Is this saying that they (streamers) make a difference or that improving a streamer will make as much difference as other components? 

@hilde45 Improving source noise performance most certainly can make an impactful difference. This reality has partly fueled the popularity of outboard devices like DDCs, which are effectively flexible noise isolation and high-precision clocking platforms that go a ways toward resolving source (and DAC) limitations. But again, what proves worthwhile or practical is determined not strictly by the source, but also by the specific DAC and the type of connection used.