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Measurements of RME ADI-2 DAC and Headphone Amp

ferongr

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Any advantages using RME ADI-2 DAC FS direct vs. employing a separate quality preamp (740P, e.g.), please?:facepalm:
Please chime in: both anecdotal and objective reports are most welcome!:)

You're more likely to degrade the signal passing it through any kind of preamp. There's nothing to be gained sonically, only convenience if you want to switch between multiple inputs connected to a poweramp.
 

Thomas savage

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You're French , that explains a lot
Hello ,

This is not acceptable behaviour, consider this a formal warning . I can understand you value the sound of your DAC but this site is predominantly about objective measurements and audio research. One individuals opinions on what something sounds like to them is of limited significance especially when it comes to DACs . Still you should not be jumped on just for mentioning you have subjective preference.

@VintageFlanker , if you find someone's post to be of little value the best thing to do is ignore it . There's no need to tear a post down sentence by sentence like you have here , it does nothing but cause bad feeling and create a mess for me. Pick your battles mate.
 

Oddiofyl

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C'mon that was such a douche way to welcome a new member ....I asked a question , that's all.
 

VintageFlanker

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@VintageFlanker , if you find someone's post to be of little value the best thing to do is ignore it . There's no need to tear a post down sentence by sentence like you have here , it does nothing but cause bad feeling and create a mess for me. Pick your battles mate
My bad, chief!;) You're definitely right: I just should use the ignore function more often.
 

Thomas savage

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My bad, chief!;) You're definitely right: I just should use the ignore function more often.
It's ok mate , it's often a waste of time and we just end up getting kicked in the balls for our efforts but we must try to be friendly and let a little bit go.

I appreciate your understanding.
 

Thomas savage

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Thank you Thomas, my apologies
No worries , thank you for your response. I know coming to a site like this can be a jarring experience , it's natural to get a bit defensive.

I hope you stick around long enough to adjust a little and I hope my members do their bit to remove the friction.

Cheers
 

TheInquiring

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You're more likely to degrade the signal passing it through any kind of preamp. There's nothing to be gained sonically, only convenience if you want to switch between multiple inputs connected to a poweramp.
Thank you very kindly for your input, @ferongr ! I take it you mean any preamp, even a high fidelity one (I personally prefer the 740P to PASS...)?:facepalm: If that is the case indeed, you saved me quite a bit of dough!;)

On that note, could you, dear experts, please share your thoughts on these three excellent AKM chip based DACs: RME ADI-2 DAC FS, TOPPING D90, and LINDEMANN Musicbook SOURCE (or 10, 15, 20, 25 models with or without DSD), focusing primarily on their preamp function?:facepalm:

:)Any info would be very helpful since the audition is not in the cards for me, unfortunately...
 

ShiZo

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It sounds like a perfect reproduction of the song. Tight, accurate, tonally balanced, ability to hear little details, instruments sound separated etc.

It doesn't sound "warm", "wide", "airy", "bright", or "dark". If I were to use a word to describe how it sounds, I'd say "right" or "correct".
 

ShiZo

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It doesn't have its own sound signature. You just get the song but incredibly detailed.

To me things really only sound "right" or "colored" and I perceive a level of detail (not perfectly).
 

VintageFlanker

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It sounds like a perfect reproduction of the song. Tight, accurate, tonally balanced, ability to hear little details, instruments sound separated etc.
It doesn't sound "warm", "wide", "airy", "bright", or "dark". If I were to use a word to describe how it sounds, I'd say "right" or "correct".
Thanks buddy. You just found the right words to simply explain transparency to the average audiophile. ;)

Anyway, I'm living with the Rev2 for 5 months now, and there's simply nothing to complain about it, with just about every track I play. The preamp part is still also exceptional with my Apollon... So the next upgrade will probably be as useless as the last one, from Rev1 to Rev2.
 
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ShiZo

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The rme was my first objective piece of equipment and simultaneously the first time I was blown away by an audio product since my very first headphone. Probably equal to the first time I ever got a pair of audiophile (sennheiser) headphones.
 

CMB

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Please find below my humble comments to transparency :
->
and :
->
however (I love this word) :
->
and sometimes it may not be excluded that :
->

If you can't read it, it is because it is transparent, so that my words don't hide or alter the deeper message (same concept than with RME ADI DAC). :)

----------
However on a different subject, I want to say that I follow this instructive thread and more over the whole forum with great interest, because of the quality of the interventions from all over the world. I don't post that much, because I am able to recognize that a waste majority of participants have an extensively deeper understanding on scientific/technical aspects around my hobby and I am very happy to learn from them.

As much more, I am deeply irritated by the earlier contrasting "uneducated insulting posts" and I sincerely wish they could be made transparent to me or maybe even deleted. Or maybe, could they at least be transferred to a different topic such "what kind of language to be avoided"? As such, at least they would have a kind of educational legitimation?

Now, and because the question has been addressed by a new member here, even that I don't quite understand how this might directly be related to audio science or the thread's topic, I am happy to recommend an interesting read for someone interested in French culture/roots or cultural influences on different nations :
Autor : Philipe D'Iribarne
Book : "La logique de l'honneur"

Just because knowledge also helps for better understanding between nations.

"La haine des sots les décèle autant que leur ignorance." Simon de Bignicourt

Please forgive my intervention, it is probably because I am French, dixit : "that explains a lot", or maybe because I am also German (however).

In the meantime, a great day to all of you and avoid any kind of viruses.

Best regards
 

Count Arthur

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If I remember corrctly I experienced something similar with my ADI-2 DAC connected to the balanced inputs of my THX 789. When the amp was on and the DAC was off (red ring) I could hear a buzz, but as soon as I turned on the DAC it disappeared. Not sure why it happened, but it wasn't an issue since I just kept the amp off whenever the DAC was off.

With regard to this issue, whereby a faint buzz can be heard from the speakers when the power amp is switched on, but the RME DAC is in standby. Some have suggested that this might be a ground loop, or grounding issue. It occurs to me that the ADI DAC isn't grounded, it has no direct connection to earth - "floating ground"?

zoom_RME_Power_Supply_for_RME_IO_Boxes_with_Locking_Connector_PSU-LCK_89742.jpg


Presumably, the ADI DAC uses a virtual ground, generated by a circuit along these lines:

virtual%20ground%20goldpoint%20basic.jpg


More info here: https://www.goldpt.com/virtual_ground_circuit.html

Therefore, ground doesn't exist unless the unit and the circuit are powered.

I'm taking some wild stabs in the dark here, my electronics knowledge is pretty limited, so, people that actually know what they're talking about, how did I do?
 
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