RME ADI-2 FS Version 2 DAC and Headphone Amp Review

[Rja4000]

You are welcome. I have the one with ADC as well to test.

Hi Amir
If you test it, please test the balanced phone mode too.
It may be used as stereo balanced out and should have better performance.
On the non-R, at least, it has.

 

[amirm]

Hi Amir
If you test it, please test the balanced phone mode too.
It may be used as stereo balanced out and should have better performance.
On the non-R, at least, it has.

Sure.

 

[infinitesymphony]

For posterity, here are RME's naming conventions for the ADI series:

DAC = DA conversion only
Pro = AD/DA conversion
FS = SteadyClock FS jitter reduction technology
R = Comes with a remote
BE = Black enclosure

 

[ElNino]

For posterity, here are RME's naming conventions for the ADI series:

DAC = DA conversion only
Pro = AD/DA conversion
FS = SteadyClock FS jitter reduction technology
R = Comes with a remote
BE = Black enclosure

I'm not sure "Pro" means AD/DA conversion. The ADI-2 FS for example has AD/DA conversion but isn't labelled Pro.

Pro seems to just mean onboard DSP, but only if the unit isn't labelled DAC. So ADI-2 DAC FS has DSP and ADI-2 Pro have DSP but ADI-2 FS doesn't have DSP.

The "R" isn't always used consistently, either. For example, the "ADI-2 DAC FS" has a remote but doesn't have the R (at least officially, though I've seen it referred to as the ADI-2 DAC FS R in some places, but it doesn't say "R" on the faceplate). I think R or the lack thereof is mostly only meaningful if PRO is present.

The other thing that causes confusion is that they stopped using version numbers on newer units, so there are two versions of the ADI-2 DAC FS out there that are hard to tell apart unless you plug them in and look at the menus or open them up.

 

[Rja4000]

BE = Black enclosure

Isn't that "Black Edition" instead ?

 

[Ykar]

Beside those results, for anyone thinking of getting this device, I suggest to read the user manual which actually looks like the story of product inception, you will feel each rational decision they made to build it. That's what I did just before pulling the trigger a few months ago.

 

[Rja4000]

I'm not sure "Pro" means AD/DA conversion. The ADI-2 FS for example has AD/DA conversion but isn't labelled Pro.

Pro seems to just mean onboard DSP, but only if the unit isn't labelled DAC. So ADI-2 DAC FS has DSP and ADI-2 Pro have DSP but ADI-2 FS doesn't have DSP.

The "R" isn't always used consistently, either. For example, the "ADI-2 DAC FS" has a remote but doesn't have the R (at least officially, though I've seen it referred to as the ADI-2 DAC FS R in some places, but it doesn't say "R" on the faceplate). I think R or the lack thereof is mostly only meaningful if PRO is present.

The other thing that causes confusion is that they stopped using version numbers on newer units, so there are two versions of the ADI-2 DAC FS out there that are hard to tell apart unless you plug them in and look at the menus or open them up.

The Pro has 1 ADC and 2 DACs. And 2 stereo headphone amps.
The non-Pro-nor-DAC has 1 ADC and 1 DAC.
And no USB interface. And no display. And probably no DSP.

 

[Rja4000]

Beside those results, for anyone thinking of getting this device, I suggest to read the user manual which actually looks like the story of product inception, you will feel each rational decision they made to build it. That's what I did just before pulling the trigger a few months ago.

I did the same

 

[Tks]

I 100% agree. All I want is a single AK4999, one XLR front output, keep the iem 3.5mm jack (or 4.4mm) at low impedance, and dual XLR outputs in the rear.

1. Dual 4499 (go all out)
2. 4 Pin Balanced Headphone Out
3. Bluetooth 5.2 Input (proper LE Support along with the latest codecs in the works)
4. 10 or 15 band PEQ
5. WiFi Streaming
6. Built-in Player with SD Card/External Storage support (Idk why there aren't more of these)

The reason I ask for that last one is assuming the 4 Pin gets made, the screen size might increase. Would be a great cover-art display.

 

[jazzvinyl2020]

Might be a noob question, but why not just use the balanced outs of the RME to some powered monitors?

Because I haven’t found powered monitors that sound as good as ML electrostats

 

[Hoary]

I think any requested additional functionality or built-in PS will make it much larger device. It seems to me, this is the way RME looks at this type of products: "Packed into the compact half 19” format factor...". So, it's either a half-rack size or full-rack size. I don't think you can fit much more into existing size...

I'm enjoying mine since Monday as it is. I gambled and ordered it before the measurements came out ) just kidding, of course). But I beat the crowd . It sits at my computer and this is where I spent majority of my day now as I'm working from home. I do listen through headphones so not to disturb other family members.

Do I want any more functionality? It would be nice to have a 10 Band Parametric EQ instead of 5. It will make it easier to compensate for flaws in headphones. But 5 will work too.
Is new DAC chip important? To me - no. I do not think it will make any noticeable difference in sound. Again, to me.

 

[Maxicut]

Because I haven’t found powered monitors that sound as good as ML electrostats

That's when it gets expensive

 

[jam]

Thanks for this review Amir. After a couple of disappointing electronic gear reviews, a new DAC review with great mesurements to uplift our spirits. The only feature that I can see missing here is an AES/EBU digital input.

 

[ferongr]

Great company, great products, but very hard to understand product naming system. It probably costs them some sales.

The naming scheme is a filter, if someone lacks the mental capacity to understand the (easy) naming scheme, then the somewhat unintuitive German-styled UI will surely result in a grey-matter meltdown.

They're saving their resellers from dealing with return units.

 

[50°F=Hellfire]

Great as expected. The only thing disappointing to me about this the lack of internal power supply, and no headphone balanced out, although I wouldn't expect to see that in an RME product, however minor. Given the market I would also have thought it could at least have AES in.

RME actually does have a product with a balanced headphone output, it's just a rather unusual system.

 

[Jimbob54]

Wow this is confusing.

@MC_RME Could you please confirm the release dates for these devices?

• RME ADI-2 DAC (if it exists?)
• RME ADI-2 DAC FS
• RME ADI-2 DAC FS v2
• RME ADI-2 Pro
• RME ADI-2 Pro FS
• RME ADI-2 Pro FS R
• RME ADI-2
• RME ADI-2 FS

I wasn't alone in getting a little confused then. This is good to know.

 

[Jim777]

I don't know if you measured unbalanced on this one, but I'm stuck with that in my current setup and one of the big highlights of your "V1" measurements was that the ADI-2 DAC performed pretty much as well as on balanced. So if you were to do a SINAD ranking for unbalanced only, it would be even closer to the top because a lot of devices will lose a few dB.

Any chances we could see SINAD, FFT and THD+N for unbalanced on V2?

 

[Labjr]

I own the latest Pro version of this DAC with ADC and DIY XONO phono stage coupled with 2 Hypex NCore400 monoblocks into Martin Logan electrostats. It’s pure sonic bliss. I cannot imagine ever owning another DAC/preamp.

Until next week!

 

[Woody Stool]

Can anyone attest to whether this system is recognized and performs correctly with recent Linux distributions? I'm going to bet it does given RME's attention to detail, but I'd like to hear it from someone who's done it.

 

[Alan S]

Actually，the one you measured is V3.