EDIT: I have replaced the term server with streamer, which is the main subject of this thread.
The title of this thread is not a question, it’s a statement, namely “DCS Should back into the network server market”. No wonder it is causing a heated debate.
Let’s look at what may well be happening in this thread, which is a good example of what happens in many such discussions.
On one side we have @Anupc claiming that there cannot be a difference in sound quality when an external streamer is added into the equation.
In this post @Anupc has demonstrated with his Vivaldi setup, that the bitstream within the dCS DAC (before the DAC stage) is identical whether it is fed from Roon or via Mosaic (another heated discussion). In fairness I have to admit that the test setup did not prove explicitly whether the addition of an external streamer from brand XYZ does alter the bitstream or not, but very likely it will not, as all these servers claim to be bitperfect.
So “science” would suggest that there is physically no difference by adding an external server, as all the elements after the bitstream in the dCS unit (output stages etc.) are identical in the two scenarios.
On the other side we have @MattC who is sure he does hear a difference between the setup with and without an external streamer. Well “science” says that he does indeed hear a difference as well as do many others. The difference is heard and experienced by him, that is for sure. As for the reasons why he is hearing a difference there could be several. It could be that the two setups actually do produce a different sound, because something in the test setup is different, such as volume or indeed the bitstreams could be different. I would regard this as unlikely.
However what could well come into play is the placebo effect. The addition of an expensive piece of equipment (which carries a flowery description of what it is supposed to achieve) simply must sound better than the dCS gear stand alone. That is the problem with sighted comparisons. Placebo has been proven to work in medicine, even if the patient knows that he is given a placebo.
How does it feel to be accused by someone of wasting money, because one has succumbed to the placebo effect? Well, not very good. Does the fact that the perceived difference in sound quality is due to placebo change anything about the perceived improvement? Not at all. So as long as the buyer of the external server hears a difference, the purchase was worth the money. Same goes for a Taiko extreme by the way. Placebo or not.