@tedsmith I am using Roon in a mac mini networked to a SMS20 Ultra > txUsBUltra connected to Direcstream senior.
I’ve a made a test today, playing Roon from mac mini direct to DS usb.
I couldnt listen no difference in sound quality.
As DS is a upsampler dac, could it be completely immune to server/sources or I am not able to hear the differences?
Since the DS is less sensitive to input jitter than most DACs the differences in sound quality with the DS are less about jitter and often more about ground loops/quality of power supplies on the inputs. USB is usually at a disadvantage on these accounts, but not in all systems.
In the DS’s case upsampling in and of itself doesn’t make the DS more or less sensitive to different inputs.
Sometimes the differences between two setups takes a while to reveal itself. Perhaps by listening to one for a week and then going back to the other (and vise versa) you’ll have a gut feeling about which is worse.
People will argue all sides of what affects sound quality, but if you are happy with your sound quality and don’t hear differences between two setups, consider yourself lucky and use the setup you like the most.