If you do not notice any difference, then it may be due to your DAC, which is not sufficiently sensitive → replace your DAC/streamer. 
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Very interesting discussion, albeit some if it flew over my head even though I’m relatively tech savvy.
Is anyone willing to offer an opinion on whether I’m compromising my setups’ sound quality in some unknown way? I have a Roon…Core? Can we just call it the server? - on a Windows 10 PC, in another room from the listening areas.
Living Room: Windows 10 Roon server > Wifi > Raspberry Pi endpoint/client w/ Volumio > HiFi Berry DAC + Pro > RCA analog out to receiver. (I could make Ethernet connection to this client device happen if I needed to).
Headphone setup: Windows 10 Roon server > Wifi > Raspbery Pi with Ropieeee (can’t remember why I used Ropieee for one Pi endpoint and Volumio for the other. They both work fine.) > USB > Schiit Modi 3 > RCA analog cables > Schiit Magni 3+.
Should I seek out a data-only USB cable to connect the Pi to the Modi?
Thanks for any input. I’m relatively new to high end audio. Cheers!
If everything works, I wouldn’t mess with it. If you get dropouts, use ethernet instead of WIFI.
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Man, you must have a big house! 
If you don’t have any issues, I wouldn’t think any more about it.
Or, maybe just tall.
Audioquest vodka cat 7. The terminations are fantastic.
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True, a lot of them are just hundreds of $$$. I have played with some of them years ago. I celebrated when I got my new dac with Ethernet so I could sell all of that usb crap/stuff I had.
As for getting a nucleus, if you aren’t comfortable working with computers then by all means, get a nucleus. For myself, not needed.
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Thanks guys I appreciate the input. There’s definitely no hum or other noise at all. Wifi is perfectly responsive, better than I thought it’d be in fact.
Very interesting read, I have a few toys yet to be played with between the Nucleus and an Ayon Stratos dac - standard Ethernet and USB cables, an Ifi nano I-Galvanic, a Curious and an Elijah USB cable and an Empirical Audio Offramp coming. My gut feeling is the USB setup will do nothing compared to a standard USB into such a well designed dac and that there might be some change with the offramp-ethernet cable combo going into the dac through I2s but time will tell. Don’t like to die wondering 
Good grief. Y’all, I swear.
So for anyone interested- copy paste from another hi fi geek forum-
SO,
sat down this arvo with a critical mind and a pair of ears, even got the cotton buds out before hand and avoided the fridge.
I sat down with a 200mm Curious cable (original version)- https://curiouscables.com/products
a 750mm Elijah Audio Quad Braid Mk IV- http://www.elijahaudio.com/products.html
an Ifi Nano I-Galvanic 3.0 ‘USB regenerator’ https://addictedtoaudio.com.au/collections/ifi-audio/products/ifi-nano-igalvanic3-0-usb-galvanic-isolation
and the original team member, a Belkin Gold USB cable (couldn’t find a good link sorry).
Now I have to admit I was very skeptic of data cables making any change, in my mind it is about the design of the server and dac that matter and anything else just conveys zero’s and ones. So with my own ears and own system here is what I found.
I could definitely hear differences as I changed cables and devices around in the system.
It took me no time at all to remove the short USB cable that comes with the Ifi device out of the equation, it was introducing glassiness. Yeah surprise #1.
That was once the Nucleus started seeing the dac again after several reboots of Nucleus and dac, but away we went. Have had enough experience with computer audio to not go all…I dunno, whos that cartoon character with the top of the head that blows off…every time something doesn’t work like an analogue device.
That left me with the Belkin, Elijah, Ifi and Elijah to play with in almost every conceivable combo, except moving the Nucleus closer to the Stratos dac so I could directly hook the server straight to the USB jack on the Stratos so I am yet to try that one. I believe that is how the designer wants the product to be used so again, am yet to try that one out.
Volume left at the one setting and Stratos in the revealing ‘Filter 1’.
Anyhoo, in general I found the Ifi Galvanic did make a difference to the SQ but not necessarily a good one. In fact I think it introduced ringing in ‘The Pot’ (TOOL), and otherwise changed it to a different version of awesome but not necessarily to my taste. It brought some extra clarity to crap recordings but again, is that a good thing?
The Elijah cable in the mix is Mr Smooth, the Curious very revealing and with a bigger soundstage. Again, nothing bad about either of these excellent cables, clearly made with a lot of love.
But again, to my mild disbelief, these cables caused the SQ to change whilst they delivered their zeros and ones. So if it is psychosomatic, why did I hear different influences on the sound? I have read stuff about these products, yes, but the reviews are mixed and of course themselves influenced by who knows how many agendas and factors within themselves.
So there were a lot of changes, some good, some a step sideways, all of it sounded nice but the winner is…
Belkin Gold USB cable, left to do it’s thing between the ROON Nucleus and the Ayon Stratos. As soon as it was put back in, time and time again, all (small) foibles disappeared again and we went back to that big gorgeous wall of sound, clarity and dynamic presence that Ayon and JBL bring to the table, soundstage opens back up again, voices get real, the works.
So now, I have the Empirical Audio Off Ramp 4 coming to try out the I2s side of the Ayon and I need to move the Nucleus close to allow the Elijah Audio cable to shine as well, watch this space.
However, I do believe that at the level my system is now, DIGITAL WISE, it is about the design of the components and not so much the interconnects. The cables and Ifi regenerator etc may bring improvements to cheaper or maybe more bare-bones configurations but in this case the device hasn’t enhanced the SQ in my system. With that in mind I am not sure the Elijah USB will beat the Offramp simply due to I2s allegedly being the ‘best’ design for audio input stuff but again, I will try to keep an open mind and time will tell.
So in my case, I have a NUC on the network acting as a Roon Server and far away from my Hi Fi rack. The Hi Fi system is fed via an ultraRendu streamer (ethernet in, USB out) which is acting as a Roon endpoint. The ultraRendu is then connecting to my DAC via USB (the ultraRendu does not have optical out).
Which of the diagrams you shared above would be reflecting my architecture then?
Regards,
Tareq
Sounds like you have the original poster’s Diagram B.
NUC -> LAN > Endpoint -> USB > DAC
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Hey ,i know it’s been years …but i have a big question : I’m seeing here &there telling (writing )even in the official roon site, "the best way is to connect the Roon core with the Roon endpoint with cable ". That way it hears like we can connect these 2 devices directly one each other ? Isn’t it a misunderstood ? The Roon core , must be always connected to the internet (router e.g.), so there would be plugged in the Lan ethernet cable ), the endpoint ,must be connected to the local network, wired (preferably )or wireless , for receiving the data from the Roon core … So , in my humble opinion ,the correct expression is: connect , tge Roon core hard wired , by ethernet cabke, and also connect the endpoint (streamer ,or computer , etc…)also wired (meaning to the local router if the hone , or other appropriate device).
For direct connection (if there is any chance ) between the Roon core machine and the endpoint machine , there should be, a Roon core with 2 LAN PORTS ,1 for the internet and the other for the local -endpoint -machine…
Hi @louk_netmedialab, your audio devices (endpoints) don’t require a wired connection to your Roon Server machine. One of Roon’s many benefits is how it streamlines whole home audio by simplifying playing to devices throughout your space. That magic is facilitated in large part by connecting to your gear “wirelessly” over your home WiFi network or with AirPlay, Chromecast, etc, on thousands of compatible devices.
For best results, we always highly recommend that people use wired ethernet to connect their Roon Server to the network, as you mentioned. But audio devices, no. Roon delivers exceptional sound quality via streaming wirelessly.
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Thank you very much for answering !
I agree with you and understand …
I just took the courage to write , because of the 1st post up here , showing a diagram with a roon core connected to an endpoint via lan cable … and i believe , many people thinking that this a scenario , because i have seen it also in other places ! As i understand this is impossible ,right ?
Yes - a direct connection between a Roon Server and an endpoint using just an ethernet cable won’t work; that diagram at the top of this thread shouldn’t be taken literally. What it means in practice is that both the Roon Server and the endpoint should be connected via the local network.
And while the Roon Server connection should always be wired, endpoint connections can be wired or wireless (provided the WiFi network is good)
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Hello! Yes, that i was also thought !
But, …maybe it’s a food for thought?
I mean maybe some day -direct connection between them 2, the Roon Server & End Point devices, could also done, with a …i suppose fantastic results!
E.g: The server could have 2 Network Cards (like most servers have either more), each one addressed for a specific work, 1 for connecting to “outside” world & the 2nd for the “inside”, meaning Home!