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Antelope Amari, Antelope Pure2, RME ADI-2 Pro FS R Black Edition or soon to be released RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE

Blumlein 88

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I think sometimes I post this too often. It is thread where I sent music thru a DAC and ADC 8 times. I supply 30 second snippets of music you can compare the 8th generation of to the original file. I used the ADC of an Antelope Audio Zen Tour. The Amari is several steps up their product line and would be better than this. In this case I used a March Audio DAC. Listen to find if you can hear a difference.

Files to download are still available. So you can hear for yourself.


Here is an older one with the same methodology using lesser gear. I think it will put your mind at ease regarding worrying overly much about ADC and DAC. Either of the two you have narrowed it down to are going to be fine. It really only comes down to features, look and cost.

 
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Trell

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As far as I've heard everyone loves their RME DA & AD/DA converters even if they don't use all of the features. Do you think the converter you have is your endgame DAC and you never need to upgrade? I know "never" is a tricky word.

I've the RME ADI-2 DAC FS for desktop usage (active monitors and headphones) and see no reason for me to upgrade to a Pro version as I won't use the ADC nor balanced headphones out. My ADC need (currently) is a mic-preamp and for that I've the RME Fireface UCX II audio interface, and should I need just ADC I've that in the UCX II (though not as good). So for my use the combo RME ADI-DAC FS and RME Fireface UCX II is great, and better than an RME ADI-2 Pro (or ADI-2/4 for that matter).
 

Willem

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Do you think the converter you have is your endgame DAC and you never need to upgrade?
The only reason I could imagine would be if a new version comes along with even more features, such as an inbuilt high pass filter for the output to the power amplifier/main speakers, and some room eq for the subs (e.g. some kind of miniDSP 2x4 HD facility, but better, to be used with MSO). Short of that, I am fine.
 

little-endian

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If you just listening to music then like people said an ADI-2 Dac or a 150 dollar Chinese dac will do everything good enough for you.
At least as long as one doesn't hook up a CD-player to one of those and attempts to play a CD with pre-emphasis.

The RME converters seem to be one of the few if not only ones which even allow to manually apply de-emphasis for those cases there the information isn't transmitted via USB or S/PDIF due to PC playback (not that it couldn't be also applied directly there within the player then).
 

unpluggged

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At least as long as one doesn't hook up a CD-player to one of those and attempts to play a CD with pre-emphasis.
Not only with CD players. I have encountered some albums on streaming services that were mastered with pre-emphasis, and this feature is invaluable.
 

little-endian

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Thanks for that valuable hint. Here, I'd have lost some bet as I assumed that nowadays streaming services when in doubt use the remaster of the dynamic-squashed remaster of the remaster (in at least 192 kHz / 24 Bit of course to avoid any audiophile blasphemy) without any nostalgic emphasis. ;)

Could you kindly provide some examples for that and did they then almost by mistake take the original master without mangling it around or are these "fresh" ones or newer productions where they against all assumption still use emphasis (although not really necessary anymore if it ever was; still not entirely sure)?
 
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