The Samara is a really solid tip. It almost feels as hard as phenolic but it doesn't seem to have as much bounce as a phenolic.
It seems easier to control but in the same respect I break from the rail in 9ball and it is definitely harder for me to consistently force the 1ball to the rail by the side pocket and up near the corner I break from for a consistent shot on the 1ball in the same pocket rack after rack.
This is possibly due to my natural break speed and if I could pick it up maybe 5 percent I may start seeing the same results with the Samsara. The reason I am guessing 5 percent is because of a COR study you can find on U of Colorado's website. Some tips eat more energy than others so you are losing speed.
I don't think they have tested a Samsara yet but I can tell you based on feel and watching the action on the break for numerous breaks that there is definitely a loss of energy going from my Phenolic to the Samsara.
With that being said all phenolic is not the same. Linen based can vary in colors and in linen content and will have differing CORs. The closest thing in sport to a COR of 100 is the collision between 2 pool balls. I had a cuemaker friend make me a few tips out of an actual 8 ball and they broke the balls really hot. Only thing was they miscued easily and tended to shatter after using them for awhile. They would lose bounce shortly before they shattered so at least I wasn't suprised when the shrapnel flew.
So back to your question. Should you switch to the Samsara? If you can hit the sweet spot consistently with what you have now I'd say no. If you are struggling with control or hitting the rack consistently maybe it's worth trying the Samsara. OF course if you are struggling in that fashion you can play with the weight bolt in your break cue, shaft taper or your break fundamentals.
I am assuming alot here. Mainly that you want to improve your break and you are wondering if anyone has seen an improvement just by swapping to the Samsara. The answer to that will be yes for some people and no for others. The break cue they are using, the speed that they break at, and what they are trying to accomplish on the break will all fall into whether or not the Samsara would help or hurt.
Not sure if I answered your question or not but you won't catch me cutting off my phenolic any time soon for a shiny new Samsara..
Just my .02
