RME ADI-2 Pro Discussion Thread

Discussion in 'Headphone Amplifiers and Combo (DAC/Amp) Units' started by k.e., Nov 5, 2016.

  1. taisserroots

    taisserroots Friend

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    Hmmm digital glare????

    Gotta have my hiss and grain amiright. Treble is glarey without grain right guys.
     
  2. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    One week ban for trying to be cool and wasting everyone’s time.
     
  3. mitochondrium

    mitochondrium Friend

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    The Kindergarten is the DAC thread please stop the noise and get back on track guys
     
  4. GanGreinke

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  5. Damfu

    Damfu New

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    Want to thank everyone for their comments on the ADI2 Pro . I live far from any dealers so can't try before I buy .
    One month in and I am enjoying exploring the many possibilities this unit presents .
    Highlights so far include cross feed and building eq profiles for each of my headphones .
    Not a big fan of eq up to now but this implementation really seems to work .
    Amp has plenty of power , I started on se then after I built an adapter moved on to balanced mode .
    All up well worth the cash
     
  6. Hrodulf

    Hrodulf Prohibited from acting as an MOT until year 2050

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    I've finally cracked why it sounds so good...

    [​IMG]
     
  7. Zed Bopp

    Zed Bopp Friend

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    I've had the device just shy of two weeks, here's some thoughts.

    I didn't have a good DAC to compare this to head-to-head, but from memory my recently sold Arcam irDAC was more on the warm and romantic side of things with some extra mid-bass warmth. My old V.1 Apogee Duet sounds pretty nasty in the highs especially in comparison. It sounds like a much worse quality digital file.

    [​IMG]

    ADI-2 DAC’s amp impressions with HD600

    Versus Schiit Lyr 2 with LISSTs (so, it's basically two high powered solid-state amps).

    Lyr 2 was connected into the RCA-outs - just plugging the HD600 in & out of the hp-out changed the output. Amp comparisons hardly get easier than this. Volume-matching was all I did.

    • tighter bass, cleaner sound overall
    • bass is snappy, aka fast vs the Schiit
    • Schiit has better subs punch & presence
    • Lyr loses some details, it's more "romantically" smeared
    • RME sounds flatter and cleaner up top
    • instrument separation goes easily to the RME
    • Lyr has more weight on kick drum notes, but ”messier” mid-bass, less definition
    • bass riffs behind a wall of distorted guitars are easier to follow with ADI-2
    • Lyr might be a very slightly easier, more forgiving listen
    • soundstage is wider through the RME (hard-panned acoustic guitars show this quick)
    • the ADI-amp doesn't fit the usual pro-gear stereotype, it's not cold, sterile, shrill, analytical etc.
    • differences aren’t huge, but esp speed & clarity do differ quite noticeably
    • ADI-2 DAC makes the Schiit amp pretty much useless to me with HD600
    • most audio-gear has a certain sound / coloring, I can't right now tell what it is with ADI-2
    • my preferences are rock, metal, acoustic, hip-hop, pop etc.

    My listening sessions continue. Next up are LCD-2.1 and HD800 (with some of that EQ). I'll report back.
     
    Last edited: Mar 23, 2018
  8. k.e.

    k.e. Winning combo: narcissistic and stupid

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    FYI, the ADI-2 Pro received a silent hardware update. Newer units will be equipped with the improved SteadyClock FS of the ADI-2 DAC unit to further reduce jitter.
    It's a very subtle change that I am not manage to hear when comparing my ADI-2 Pro AE with the ADI-2 DAC so this update is not clearly marked by RME.

    I proposed on another forum to call it the ADI-2 Pro FS, but I don't think it will stick. In future, if you want to know which version you have, you can probably go by production date.

    Edit: I just found out that the actual revision is indeed called ADI-2 Pro FS. I was told the addition FS is printed on the front just like on the ADI-2 DAC FS, so forget what I said. It is easy to tell them apart.
     
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2018
  9. ilcg1

    ilcg1 Acquaintance

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    I knew that something was cooking when checked thomann website couple of days ago and they had Adi-2 Pro as discontinued product.

    It looks like they have Adi-2 Pro FS there for sale now: https://m.thomann.de/gb/rme_adi_2_pro_fs.htm
     
  10. gepardcv

    gepardcv Almost "Made"

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    Wait a second. That description of the Pro FS says the unit includes Autodark mode. That was one of the few things that kept me more interested in the DAC rather than the Pro (because I actually could use the Pro’s extra features). Is this the case, or copypasta on the Thomann product page?
     
  11. k.e.

    k.e. Winning combo: narcissistic and stupid

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    Yes, it’s true.

    On the DAC everything goes black. For me, it’s confusing because at night I switch out the whole power supply. It looks like it has no power at all (off is a red ring). I think “auto dark” would be better if only the LCD would turn off and the power button would glow white.

    Right now I have the LCD brightness set to 20% and use the display mode with white on black text. I’m fine with that.
     
  12. ilcg1

    ilcg1 Acquaintance

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  13. cskippy

    cskippy Creamy warmpoo

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    I really appreciate Autodark being completely dark in my bedroom at night. They should allow an option to turn off the red standby LED though.
     
  14. mitochondrium

    mitochondrium Friend

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    Swiss army knife

    Roughly four years ago, when after a long spell without spending any money on new gear, I moved to a new appartment where it would not be a problem to place nice floorstander loudspeakers, While being on the lookout for a DAC I heard about the Mytek Stereo 192 that this DAC was a one box wonder. Featurewise it had a lot to offer DAC up to 192 kHz sampling frequency, DSD (at the time I had not made my mind up concerning DSD) and a preamp section with analog input. I got one and had a chance to compare it to a Electrocompaniet ECD2 and a T&A DAC8.
    The experience was rather disappointing, it could not match the other two units SQ wise, the analog input was not on a very high lebvel either. The real bummer though was the fact that all the knobs and buttons were very wobbly, the whole built quality was not up to much and moreover when changing the setting you got pops coming out of the speakers. Whether the SQ issue had to do with the fact that it came with Sabre chips (Cirrus for the Electrocompaniet and Wolfson if I am not mistaken for the T&A) I do not know. So overall on paper it looked nice but it did not live up to the expectations.
    Fast forward four years I decided I wanted to digitise all my vinyl and therefore tried am RME ADI-2 PRO, feature wise even richer than the Mytek with AD added to the DA, ok no analog input but with its ADDA very transparent at least on the level I use vinyl no problem using ADDA in order to listen to vinyl. The form factor is similar, it even does away with the silly toroidal transformer in order to simplify the power supply.
    After having lived with the ADI-2 PRO for nearly three month, it gets high marks from me. It lives up to all the expectations the Mytek inspired.
    The SQ of DAC/preamp section is very nice. One of the tracks which is a good test for me is Santana's Singing Winds Crying Beasts. The percussion at the beginning (sounds like shells) needs to be precise and sharp but not harsh, the ADI does not falter. In general I would describe its sound as clean and non fatiguing. I am someone who is not permanenly on the lookout for th next better thing but belong to the good enogh is good enough type,Ii am satisfied.
    It gives me the possibility to choose the right output level to use my passive preamp in its sweet spot. It drives my active speakers without breaking sweat (but it gets quite warm).
    It has tons of different features which I have not all discovered yet. I already do DRC so I don't neccessarily need the PEQ. The recordings I do of my vinyl using vinyl studio at 24/96 sound very clean, so once the stylus of my current analog setup will need replacement I will probably retire the analog rig. The fact that you can store different settings is really handy. In DA mode I get the proper setting of the output level and my preferred DA filter with the push of a button. Likewise when digitising vinyl I only need to push one button and the preferrred setting is there, I only need to adjust volume a little to the level of the record and I can start.
    The built quality is also very nice no nonsense it cannot deny its pro genes there. I quite like the looks and could live with them even if I had the unit on open display (it is in a cupboard and does not overheat nor does the SBC which is nearby and which runs Daphile in order to feed the ADI).
    All in all I think the fact that pro gear tends to be designed with the aim of not exaggerating things to where steeply diminishing returns for the cost of the unit sets in suits me fine. On top off that RME come up with a well thought out concept equally well engineered and manufactured.
     
  15. ilcg1

    ilcg1 Acquaintance

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    Reply from Mathias at RME - two small changes added I care less: SteadyClock FS and AutoDark Mode.

     
    Last edited: Apr 1, 2018
  16. Poleepkwa

    Poleepkwa Friend

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    I crosspost this from the RME DAC 2 thread as there seems to be more Pro users than DAC users so far.

    " Since things have slowed down here and people have had this for a while now. How big is the difference between USB and SPDIF on this? Does it makes sense to invest in a better "transport" or better of saving up for some better headphones?"
     
  17. Hrodulf

    Hrodulf Prohibited from acting as an MOT until year 2050

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    I think it should be a no-brainer. Just about any headphones will get you a more audible difference. The problem is that after HD650 for just about every improvement you pay by losing something. I guess Focal Clear is an overall improvement, but it's not cheap.
     
  18. sorrodje

    sorrodje Carla Bruni's other lover - Friend

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    I don't care anymore about supposedly flawed USB. To try hard to find minutes differences does not make me happier so whatever works flawlessly is fine for me and I stick to USB.
     
  19. Poleepkwa

    Poleepkwa Friend

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    I noticed minute difference (maybe?) between USB/SPDIF on the DAC version. However which one is more correct I cannot say, and all inputs work very well. Using USB removes a lot of variables in this case for me, so I was curious as to how others feel about this.
     
    Last edited: Apr 5, 2018
  20. ilcg1

    ilcg1 Acquaintance

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    Guys, does anyone use a hard case for their Adi-2 Pro or DAC (like pelican) when you carry it around a lot? Are there any with pre-cut foam inserts for adi-2? Thanks.
     

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