It's a sickness, I know, right there with you. But I will resist, except for the remote, I will buy that if possible, lol.Easy to say. I have to confess: Even after 2 years reading ASR, I'm still quite sick about upgrading.
-
WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!
Measurements of RME ADI-2 DAC and Headphone Amp
- Thread starter amirm
- Start date
Alan S
Member
One day, the next generation ADI-2 DAC will come. Before that, just enjoy your music (or new remote controlEasy to say. I have to confess: Even after 2 years reading ASR, I'm still quite sick about upgrading.
).
Alan S
Member
)
Tks
Major Contributor
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2019
- Messages
- 3,221
- Likes
- 5,497
I guess I need to at some point. After I cry over my ADI-2 Pro falling more and more behind....
Still murders everything in sight from an ADC perspective. There's that crown it still holds very well.
Let us stick to the science: the old one was already well above the human hearing threshold. What made the ADI-2 stand out were its additional features like tone and balance controls, dynamic loudness, parametric filters, etc. I will only upgrade if there are additional attractive features like DIRAC.
As for the general urge to upgrade, I can say that I have really never had that. I am on my second pair of main speakers in more than fourty years (Quad 2805 insteaad of ELS57) and my second power amplifier (Quad 606-2 instead of Quad 303). The ADI-2 is my second pre amplifier (instead of a Quad 33). This was all expensive gear (particularly the first round, for a student), but amortized over fourty years it was cheap.
Just don't get too excited, and stay rational. That is the ethos of this forum.
As for the general urge to upgrade, I can say that I have really never had that. I am on my second pair of main speakers in more than fourty years (Quad 2805 insteaad of ELS57) and my second power amplifier (Quad 606-2 instead of Quad 303). The ADI-2 is my second pre amplifier (instead of a Quad 33). This was all expensive gear (particularly the first round, for a student), but amortized over fourty years it was cheap.
Just don't get too excited, and stay rational. That is the ethos of this forum.
I'd love them to provide a way to remote control from the PC, to automate measurements...
Well, that won't happen, I guess.
I still think the guys in pro studio may find that useful too though.
ramzi
Member
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2018
- Messages
- 22
- Likes
- 16
I would really appreciate some input from you lucky ADI-2 DAC owners as I'm becoming desperately lost in the DAC rabbit hole...
Basically started with a Topping D50 as a way to connect a TV to a Rega Brio/KEF Q350.
Fast forward some time and I kinda went full audiotard upgrading the system.
Most recently deciding it was finally time to move up from the D50 as I have a Linux server running Roon with Qobuz 24/192, so I'm using the DAC a lot more.
Got the DX7 Pro as it seemed a pretty safe upgrade from the D50 and to be fair, it's quite an impressive package.
Unfortunately, turns out it does not play well with the TV optical out like the D50 does, as I'm one of many that have major audio dropout issues when using the TV, which is a dealbreaker...
While searching I found even SMSL M500 users have pretty much the same issue and a member suggested an AKM based DAC.
I'm basically done searching for the best price/performance combinations and want something reference grade primarily as a DAC.
Waiting on the Rega Aethos (due Dec) and using Dynaudio Special 40s.
From my short dip into the ADI-2 DAC pool there is a lot of info there, but even from the docs and automatic clock selection when using SPDIF, I got the impression it should be more robust in that regard considering the TV optical out (LG C8).
Considering the DX7 Pro was ~600 EUR, I'm seriously thinking about replacing it with an ADI, as I'm done believing AK4499 will be our lord and saviour once it gets released soon...
So considering a use case of Roon/Qobuz high quality sources using USB and the TV using OPT, would the ADI be something that will just work and continue to do so for quite some time?
I'm really amazed at the amount of support the device has, in terms of docs, videos, firmware updates etc.
P.S. I noticed some of you seem to have issues with the update software and OS, I could whip up a Virtualbox VM very easily for that if it would be useful to someone, just ping me.
Basically started with a Topping D50 as a way to connect a TV to a Rega Brio/KEF Q350.
Fast forward some time and I kinda went full audiotard upgrading the system.
Most recently deciding it was finally time to move up from the D50 as I have a Linux server running Roon with Qobuz 24/192, so I'm using the DAC a lot more.
Got the DX7 Pro as it seemed a pretty safe upgrade from the D50 and to be fair, it's quite an impressive package.
Unfortunately, turns out it does not play well with the TV optical out like the D50 does, as I'm one of many that have major audio dropout issues when using the TV, which is a dealbreaker...
While searching I found even SMSL M500 users have pretty much the same issue and a member suggested an AKM based DAC.
I'm basically done searching for the best price/performance combinations and want something reference grade primarily as a DAC.
Waiting on the Rega Aethos (due Dec) and using Dynaudio Special 40s.
From my short dip into the ADI-2 DAC pool there is a lot of info there, but even from the docs and automatic clock selection when using SPDIF, I got the impression it should be more robust in that regard considering the TV optical out (LG C8).
Considering the DX7 Pro was ~600 EUR, I'm seriously thinking about replacing it with an ADI, as I'm done believing AK4499 will be our lord and saviour once it gets released soon...
So considering a use case of Roon/Qobuz high quality sources using USB and the TV using OPT, would the ADI be something that will just work and continue to do so for quite some time?
I'm really amazed at the amount of support the device has, in terms of docs, videos, firmware updates etc.
P.S. I noticed some of you seem to have issues with the update software and OS, I could whip up a Virtualbox VM very easily for that if it would be useful to someone, just ping me.
Oh hell yes. I use the ADI2 just like this. Sell that topping.
I use the ADI-2 with the optical output of my Panasonic plasma screen, and without any problems. I also use the optical output of my BD player and the optical output of a CCA, all into an automatic switch.
It is a completely stable unit, and the extra functionality of balance, tone control, dynamic loudness etc is very useful. You will no longer need a pre amp.
It is a completely stable unit, and the extra functionality of balance, tone control, dynamic loudness etc is very useful. You will no longer need a pre amp.
Intresting.
Which one exactly?
It is this one: https://www.tindie.com/products/Beni_Skate/automatic-spdif-opticalrca-audio-switch/
The only limitation I experienced is that sources that are not used should be switched off. My Pro-ject Ephono box optical mm phono preamp does not, so I converted its optical signal to coax, and used the coax input on the ADI. This works well, although for that I obviously have to change the input on the ADI manually (but I rarely listen to vinyl anyway).
The only limitation I experienced is that sources that are not used should be switched off. My Pro-ject Ephono box optical mm phono preamp does not, so I converted its optical signal to coax, and used the coax input on the ADI. This works well, although for that I obviously have to change the input on the ADI manually (but I rarely listen to vinyl anyway).
Many thanks!
I looked everywhere, the only automatic switch I found was from Lindy and got very bad reviews on Amazon. This one will cost me $82 shipped to France, which is not cheap but not insane either.
Will be able to connect my ADI-2 to all my sources that way:
USB: PC
COAX: CD transport
OPT: TV, as well as my CCA and BT Receiver... Thanks to the switch.
I have one of those
I mean the Lindy Toslink switch with remote.
Last edited:
ramzi
Member
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2018
- Messages
- 22
- Likes
- 16
So I sent back the DX7, hopefully it will arrive in one piece and then I can exchange the order for the new ADI-2 DAC (seen it advertised on some sites as ADI-2 V2 DAC).
I was kinda bored so I created a VirtualBox Win10 VM with the latest RME drivers and flash update tool if someone wants to have an isolated playground:
Based on Win10_1909_English_x64.iso, RME driver 0.9685, Flash Update Tool 2019-10-14 and DIGICheck 5.92.
It's a 5 part 7z file so you'll need 7-Zip:
Windows: https://www.7-zip.org/download.html
macOS: https://www.keka.io/en/
Part 1: https://send.firefox.com/download/53dd1e9e3a0f6b45/#PyVBNOiYLm7BlHxtmwvuFg
Part 2: https://send.firefox.com/download/ea92ef134c42fb2b/#KLYWNlRbHOawux2kNwwPDQ
Part 3: https://send.firefox.com/download/e03e492d0e582210/#6n_t0Kyud_yvqhilXDstDQ
Part 4: https://send.firefox.com/download/f3d1399c6d67dd89/#IAeKhY6k9wRIhqxisS3mkQ
Part 5: https://send.firefox.com/download/5856bda5ba0e9730/#psmpc-7tE4lP5WkKR7Aonw
After uncompressing you should have ADI-2.ova which you can then import into VirtualBox:
https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads
I was kinda bored so I created a VirtualBox Win10 VM with the latest RME drivers and flash update tool if someone wants to have an isolated playground:
Based on Win10_1909_English_x64.iso, RME driver 0.9685, Flash Update Tool 2019-10-14 and DIGICheck 5.92.
It's a 5 part 7z file so you'll need 7-Zip:
Windows: https://www.7-zip.org/download.html
macOS: https://www.keka.io/en/
Part 1: https://send.firefox.com/download/53dd1e9e3a0f6b45/#PyVBNOiYLm7BlHxtmwvuFg
Part 2: https://send.firefox.com/download/ea92ef134c42fb2b/#KLYWNlRbHOawux2kNwwPDQ
Part 3: https://send.firefox.com/download/e03e492d0e582210/#6n_t0Kyud_yvqhilXDstDQ
Part 4: https://send.firefox.com/download/f3d1399c6d67dd89/#IAeKhY6k9wRIhqxisS3mkQ
Part 5: https://send.firefox.com/download/5856bda5ba0e9730/#psmpc-7tE4lP5WkKR7Aonw
After uncompressing you should have ADI-2.ova which you can then import into VirtualBox:
https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads
Uh uh.
@Audiophonics listed the ADI-2 DAC rev2, with somewhat strange claim:
An improved output stage ? What are you talking about? Neither @MC_RME or the product page is mentionning that.
@Audiophonics listed the ADI-2 DAC rev2, with somewhat strange claim:
An improved output stage ? What are you talking about? Neither @MC_RME or the product page is mentionning that.
Last edited:
I've owned the ADI-2 DAC for the past week and I've been very satisfied with its performance both as a headphone amp driving my T1.2s and the line-out driving my AS-501. Upgrading to the latest firmware seemed to have enabled the Auto Ref Level for the headphone output, and the digital volume control actually switches gain as you raise the volume. Really smart feature.
One small thing is bothering me though. I've locked the volume control at 0dB with +7dBu Ref Level for the line out. Full scale playback shows as -0.1 on the peak meter set for Post-FX. But when I apply a low-Q highpass at 28Hz to reduce useless LF driver excursion (it's the -6dB point of my setup), the meter shows overload. Shouldn't a highpass actually drop the levels a bit instead of increase them? No other EQ bands or bass/treble adjustments are enabled.
One small thing is bothering me though. I've locked the volume control at 0dB with +7dBu Ref Level for the line out. Full scale playback shows as -0.1 on the peak meter set for Post-FX. But when I apply a low-Q highpass at 28Hz to reduce useless LF driver excursion (it's the -6dB point of my setup), the meter shows overload. Shouldn't a highpass actually drop the levels a bit instead of increase them? No other EQ bands or bass/treble adjustments are enabled.
Similar threads
