Hi can someone tell me is there any SQ difference between the Sonicorbiter SE (RoonReady) and a PC or Mac mini (RoonCore) connected to a DAC ?
I assume you mean Roon endpoint and not server, the SonicOrbiter SE is an endpoint.
At the risk of starting a flame war, I would none. If your network has no issues (which would show up as clicks and dropouts), the Sonicorbiter, Mac or PC are just data transfer agents. All can run RoonBridge and will all sound the same or that is to say, not at all. Careful of PC’s cooling fans and electrical noise causing issues but if you use a NUC, no problems should occur.
You might also want to look at a Raspberry Pi running RoonBridge. I use them and no issues. They are also dirt cheap.
Yes Sonicorbiter as an endpoint and Pc’s or Mini’s as a server connected to a DAC
You will not hear any difference between a Mac or PC server. The differences in sound will be tied to your DAC and audio system, not the computer side.
Electrical noise and fans are the difference. An Ethernet connection provides galvanic isolation for the signal (transformer coupled at each end), but not the earth.
People have reported that the electrical activity associated with a full-scale processor, drive and often a switching power supply (NUC) can be heard on their systems. Keeping all of that at a distance works for them.
This really does beg the question at what point the electrical noise (not fans) from a PC (or some streamers) contributes to a reduction in sound quality.
Seems to me a fanless NUC with RoonServer and all the music self contained on a SSD or fusion drive offers a pretty sweet solution compared to three different items, Core, NAS, Endpoint.
I like my sleek Beaglebone Black endopoint with Roonbridge, but I am not sure it is much, if any, of an improvement over the mac mini it replaced, that is still it the chain as the Core, but out of the room.