ADI 2 Series Discontinued, any news on successor?

[Fletcher–Munson]

"The new ADI-2 Pro EX is equipped with the AK5574 analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and the AK4493 digital-to-analog converter (DAC)."

ADI-2-Pro EX - RME Audio Interfaces | Format Converters | Preamps | Network Audio & MADI Solutions

RME Audio Professional Live, Studio, Recording and Broadcast Solutions. Unrivalled Quality, Performance & Stability MADI Interfaces, Converters & Preamps.

rme-audio.de

Yeah, it`s not the ESS 9039Q2M chip mentioned in the article above.

 

[fin]

A warm chassis is quite normal for those converters. As long as the unit is stable and working properly just leave it there. Some like Neumann MT48 uses a fan but most gears don't, fans can be annoying sometimes. Lower temperature is nice to have but to me it's hard to justify an upgrade.

 

[mimicat963]

"The new ADI-2 Pro EX is equipped with the AK5574 analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and the AK4493 digital-to-analog converter (DAC)."

ADI-2-Pro EX - RME Audio Interfaces | Format Converters | Preamps | Network Audio & MADI Solutions

RME Audio Professional Live, Studio, Recording and Broadcast Solutions. Unrivalled Quality, Performance & Stability MADI Interfaces, Converters & Preamps.

rme-audio.de

This 4493 is highly likely a product of later foundry outsourcing; both the pinouts and the sound characteristics are bound to be different.

 

[Rngrsn94]

What DAC chipset will be implemented in the

RME ADI-2 DAC EX​

 

[rcstevensonaz]

This 4493 is highly likely a product of later foundry outsourcing; both the pinouts and the sound characteristics are bound to be different.

Or, RME still has AKM4493 chips on hand that they acquired from before the fire. In the past, RME indicated that they had plenty of chips on hand for the ADI-2 Pro FS R BE to continue production as it was. Note: unlikely they still have such AKM4493 surplus after this many years... but possible (especially since they shifted their the 2/4 SE over to the ESS chip line).

 

[bungle]

Or, RME still has AKM4493 chips on hand that they acquired from before the fire. In the past, RME indicated that they had plenty of chips on hand for the ADI-2 Pro FS R BE to continue production as it was. Note: unlikely they still have such AKM4493 surplus after this many years... but possible (especially since they shifted their the 2/4 SE over to the ESS chip line).

AKM supply chain has fully recovered, so they probably can get as many AKM4493 as they want.

 

[Sir Sanders Zingmore]

Yeah, it`s not the ESS 9039Q2M chip mentioned in the article above.

Again, why does that matter?

 

[KSTR]

A warm chassis is quite normal for those converters. As long as the unit is stable and working properly just leave it there. Some like Neumann MT48 uses a fan but most gears don't, fans can be annoying sometimes. Lower temperature is nice to have but to me it's hard to justify an upgrade.

The ADI-2 Pro gets really hot when ambient temperature is high because of the very densely packed large amount of electronics. Heat is always a bad thing for long service life and reliability, and heat cycling is even worse. Using both headphone channels with low impedance headphones at high levels (live recording and such) pushes it to dangerous temperatures.
I made simple stands for my Pros to operate the vertically, much better both for radiation cooling and convection cooling.
RME addressed that in the EX series successors.

And good to know they kept the trusted and proven 2xAK4493 + AK5574 chips. One reason might be that the Pro always has been marketed to be used also as a measurement device which requires consistency in specs and in all details of operation and behavior.

 

[rcstevensonaz]

AKM supply chain has fully recovered, so they probably can get as many AKM4493 as they want.

Are you saying that AKM is once again shipping AKM4493 (no suffix) chips? Earlier, someone noted that the only current chips are AK4493S or AK4493SEQ; so they were surprised that RME listed the chip as AKM4493.

 

[bungle]

Are you saying that AKM is once again shipping AKM4493 (no suffix) chips? Earlier, someone noted that the only current chips are AK4493S or AK4493SEQ; so they were surprised that RME listed the chip as AKM4493.

Ah, ok. Could be.

 

[rcstevensonaz]

Again, why does that matter?

Because "inquiring minds" want to know what this product is, and which components were used to build it. To be clear, that doesn't mean most all of us would buy or not buy based on the chip — @VintageFlanker put the AKM vs ESS debate in the RME ADI-2 lineup to rest quite a while back. But it is still a detail that all of us (except for you) want to know.

And the discussion (or should I say, "reading of the tea leaves") continues here because RME has very poorly managed the press release process... such that conflicting information is being put out to the public.

 

[mimicat963]

Or, RME still has AKM4493 chips on hand that they acquired from before the fire. In the past, RME indicated that they had plenty of chips on hand for the ADI-2 Pro FS R BE to continue production as it was. Note: unlikely they still have such AKM4493 surplus after this many years... but possible (especially since they shifted their the 2/4 SE over to the ESS chip line).

It’s more likely to be the updated 4493.

 

[Sir Sanders Zingmore]

But it is still a detail that all of us (except for you) want to know.

I'm so lonely all on my own

 

[rcstevensonaz]

It’s more likely to be the updated 4493.

Yea. Looking back, I realize that even though RME's text said "AK4493", I was reading it as "AKM4493".

So clearly, they are referencing the current chips rather than the older one. But as you noted, it still does not indicate whether it is the "S" or "SEQ" variant.

Update: Doh!!! The name of the original chip was also AK4493 and not AKM4493. So jury is still out.... (a) perhaps they are still using up stock of the old chip; or (b) perhaps this is the newer 4493 chip, but the suffix is just not specified on the website; or (c) perhaps that is leftover "placeholder text" from previous product version, which will later be corrected to an ESS chip.

In the end, @Sir Sanders Zingmore is not wrong — it doesn't really matter. But I'm still curious.

 

[BassTinker]

RME seems to show all three new models in Vienna right now according to this picture of Synthax Audio UK's facebook page:

Facebook

www.facebook.com

The bottom picture shows the 2/4 (the device on the right). So the 2/4 version will definitely have the Pentaconn connector, which is nice. Still curios about the vinyl prestage.

 

[nagster]

I measured the temperature and power consumption of the RME / ADI-2 DAC and ADI-2 PRO.

 

[ShiZo]

The ADI-2 Pro gets really hot when ambient temperature is high because of the very densely packed large amount of electronics. Heat is always a bad thing for long service life and reliability, and heat cycling is even worse. Using both headphone channels with low impedance headphones at high levels (live recording and such) pushes it to dangerous temperatures.
I made simple stands for my Pros to operate the vertically, much better both for radiation cooling and convection cooling.
RME addressed that in the EX series successors.

And good to know they kept the trusted and proven 2xAK4493 + AK5574 chips. One reason might be that the Pro always has been marketed to be used also as a measurement device which requires consistency in specs and in all details of operation and behavior.

How did they fix the warmth?

 

[rcstevensonaz]

How did they fix the warmth?

Larger chassis (now same size as the ADI-2/4 Pro SE) and air vents on top.

 

[ShiZo]

Larger chassis (now same size as the ADI-2/4 Pro SE) and air vents on top.

What's weird is my ADI 2/4 pro se has the top vents whereas others I've seen do not

 

[rcstevensonaz]

What's weird is my ADI 2/4 pro se has the top vents whereas others I've seen do not

In the (leaked?) press release, it says that all units in the EX line will be MATCHING the chassis style (larger, vented top) that was introduced with the ADI-2/4 Pro SE. The SE is newer and bigger than the previously released DAC and Pro which did not have the vents.

So what would be weird is if your Pro SE did not have those vents.