Surely the difference will be small right? I just found one where the difference is 10x let that sink in.
<debugsymbols> -> true | false -> 10x difference in benchmark.
The DebugSymbols framework uses Spotlight to find dSYMs with the right UUIDs. Is Spotlight enabled and functioning for the location where your dSYMs are stored? Do the dSYMs' UUIDs match the UUIDs recorded in the Instruments trace?