Measurements of RME ADI-2 DAC and Headphone Amp

[IHeartAudio]

Same. I leave mine on all the time for the spectrum display. It adds to the aura of my room with my light scenes.

Side Note: I've gotten so much more time with my baby since the quarantine. My love for the ADI-2 DAC has grown. I can't imagine ever needing to upgrade. This is the happiest I've been with any piece of equipment I've ever purchased.

 

[ezra_s]

A question for owners of the RME ADI-2 DAC FS:

Do you leave the display on all the time, or do you use the "AutoDark" mode to turn the display off after about 10 seconds?

Thanks!

always on with all the features, and sometimes i change colors..

Same. I leave mine on all the time for the spectrum display. It adds to the aura of my room with my light scenes.

Side Note: I've gotten so much more time with my baby since the quarantine. My love for the ADI-2 DAC has grown. I can't imagine ever needing to upgrade. This is the happiest I've been with any piece of equipment I've ever purchased.

I share the same feelings.. odd, right?

 

[guildenstern]

always on with all the features, and sometimes i change colors..



I share the same feelings.. odd, right?

Not odd--got to find your joy where you can these days!

Thanks, all, for the replies.

 

[wgb113]

Anyone else using their's to control volume on active monitors? I'm debating whether or not I need to add a preamp to my setup given I can (gasp!) run the turntable through the RME via the PS Audio's Coax out.

 

[maverickronin]

Anyone else using their's to control volume on active monitors? I'm debating whether or not I need to add a preamp to my setup given I can (gasp!) run the turntable through the RME via the PS Audio's Coax out.

That should work great. Mine gets used as a preamp most of the time too. I also have an outboard ADC that sometimes gets used as an analog in.

 

[Rja4000]

Anyone else using their's to control volume on active monitors? I'm debating whether or not I need to add a preamp to my setup given I can (gasp!) run the turntable through the RME via the PS Audio's Coax out.

I use the RME ADI-2 Pro fs R to feed my Genelec 1032A. Had to tune sensitivity down on the Genelec ;-)
That's same use than what you want to do, isn't it?

About using your PS Audio AD, why not ?
If you use the RME ADI-2 DAC, routing the PS Audio signal through SPDIF to the RME seems a good idea.
Just be careful that you may have to select clock source manually (or turn PC off) when using the turntable, depending on which sources will be connected simultaneously.

I've read PS Audio uses PCM4222 as an ADC, and, unless they've done something stupid, that should work fine: that's a very decent ADC.
(I do own the PCM4222 evaluation board, and measured performance is good, although the noise is higher than with the RME ADI-2 Pro ADC)

So forget the preamp.

 

[Willem]

With the Adi-2 a preamp is a waste of money that will only degrade the sound.

 

[ShiZo]

No way.

 

[IHeartAudio]

Anyone else using their's to control volume on active monitors? I'm debating whether or not I need to add a preamp to my setup given I can (gasp!) run the turntable through the RME via the PS Audio's Coax out.

I use mine for exactly that purpose. I have some Focal studio monitors. I love how the ADI-2 has a different volume for the headphones and XLR outs. It also remembers the volume with safety measures if you switch outputs into a potentially dangerous volume.

 

[LTig]

Anyone else using their's to control volume on active monitors? I'm debating whether or not I need to add a preamp to my setup given I can (gasp!) run the turntable through the RME via the PS Audio's Coax out.

I do. I have the PRO version with an analogue input though.

 

[odyo]

Hope chinese brands can do cheaper version of this.

 

[Willem]

I admire RME's ability to produce highly innovative gear of superb quality and with great support for still very competitive prices, and doing so in Germany paying proper German wages and under good working conditions.

 

[Matias]

Anyone else using their's to control volume on active monitors? I'm debating whether or not I need to add a preamp to my setup given I can (gasp!) run the turntable through the RME via the PS Audio's Coax out.

Yes, as long as you use the AutoRef = on it should keep a very high SINAD in all volume levels and should be fine.

 

[SoZo]

I write, produce, record, engineer, and mix music....

I use the ADI-2 DAC fs v2 direct into my Focal 6be and it's superb. Maybe the DAC is not as deep or lush or slightly (slightly) more dynamic then a preamp but its more detailed and pinpoint accurate top to bottom and front to back I feel I lack nothing.

John

 

[wgb113]

I think you all have convinced me to go without a dedicated preamp for now. Thanks for saving me @ $800-$1400 - that doesn't happen much on audio forums!

Bill

 

[gewinnste]

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

I, too, am quite puzzled. That wasn't 1st of April, right? Or was there a really nasty post that is now deleted?

 

[CMB]

I, too, am quite puzzled. That wasn't 1st of April, right? Or was there a really nasty post that is now deleted?

Hi Gewinnste, nevermind it is not worth any hassle. I returned to enjoy music and the RME. Actually, having this gear now for over a few months. I never regretted the purchase. It is brillant. I enjoy the quality of the product, the sound and use the most of its features which I wouldn’t want to miss anymore.

 

[trl]

Does anyone have any suggestions regarding EQ settings when using HD650's?

I'm curious since I have a pair on order after not owning any fullsize cans for years and it will be interesting to see if my ADI-2 can make them even better than I remember.

@solderdude already measured these and also provided a listening feedback too here: https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/measurements/brands-s-se/hd650/.

 

[trl]

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?

Hello, I probably missed that specific post, but I feel you here.

We're living in an audiofool world where someone can easily state that DAC#1 sounds way better than DAC#2 without providing any objective answer (complete lack of measurements, not even something related to volume matching or A/B testing); maybe that guy is right, but it will take lot of time for his credibility to get earned. Depending on that specific post you are talking about, maybe someone made an assertion that was hard to prove or simply too subjective, hence the word "uneducated" from English is probably not that rude as it's signification in French (in my country we only tell that to those unable to graduate high-school or those that never read books of any kind).

Let's take headphones as an example: two different pairs (planar and dynamic) will definitely not sound alike, but they might measure pretty similar across 20-20KHz in respect with freq. response and THD, but only these two tests can not ever tell us how these headphones are sounding, so here will help a lot some subjective listening tests. I hate that Tyll retired, because he was the only one providing square tests and much more than that.

 

[JohnYang1997]

Hello, I probably missed that specific post, but I feel you here.

We're living in an audiofool world where someone can easily state that DAC#1 sounds way better than DAC#2 without providing any objective answer (complete lack of measurements, not even something related to volume matching or A/B testing); maybe that guy is right, but it will take lot of time for his credibility to get earned. Depending on that specific post you are talking about, maybe someone made an assertion that was hard to prove or simply too subjective, hence the word "uneducated" from English is probably not that rude as it's signification in French (in my country we only tell that to those unable to graduate high-school or those that never read books of any kind).

Let's take headphones as an example: two different pairs (planar and dynamic) will definitely not sound alike, but they might measure pretty similar across 20-20KHz in respect with freq. response and THD, but only these two tests can not ever tell us how these headphones are sounding, so here will help a lot some subjective listening tests. I hate that Tyll retired, because he was the only one providing square tests and much more than that.

After-Tyll-Retirement era, the people head to the wrong direction. And the people who are measuring don't have the personality of Tyll. It's good that in the electronics, people are measuring better. But I personally feel really bad. Because I am in the analogue electronics route. Unless I change direction it's really hard for me to do what I could do.
The only website I trust(like I used to trust innerfidelity) is EAR-FI naver. And now I value solderdude's measurements more than ever before.