Backpressure to writers is the main reason to use buffer channels IMHO. I have never seen any performance differences between buffered or unbuffered for anythin

Backpressure to writers is the main reason to use buffer channels IMHO. I have never seen any performance differences between buffered or unbuffered for anything I have used. The other reason to use them is controlling CPU. Spin up a pool of consumers and control how many cores they use with the buffer.