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New member - Interest in RME ADI-2

Ty89m

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Hey all!

Stumbled upon this wonderful forum via the usual audio channels, and am enjoying all the scientific data and measurements - as reading heavily subjective reviews can get exhausting at times! With that said, for this next purchase, I'm looking for a down to earth, well measuring amp/dac etc - whether high bang for buck or slightly more expensive.

I just purchased my first set of Planar (Hifiman Arya) and also have a pair of HD800S en route. Will also be using Campfire Andromedas - but not looking for something specifically for them.

Does the RME have enough juice to power the Arya sufficiently? Will it play nice with 800's as well? Clearly it would work well for Andro's, even if some prefer high OI amps with them.

I still a bit unsure how much power the amp section puts out for the headphones in question? Would I be better off with a more powerful amp? I suppose I could pair something else with the RME DAC, though prefer an AIO solution for convenience.

I'm also seeing recommendations for the JDS Atom, though still unsure if it has the power to drive my Arya's. Also looking at iFi Black Label and perhaps THX 788 (as I too missed the boat on the Massdrop version)

Any input greatly appreciated!
 

JohnYang1997

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Does the RME have enough juice to power the Arya sufficiently? Will it play nice with 800's as well?

Yes and yes.
And don't worry about anything else. If it fits your budget, Adi2 dac is one of the best things out there.
 

Schackmannen

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I have the ADI-2 DAC and the HD 800 and the built in amp is more than capable to drive the HD 800 to ear deafening levels, I rarely have to even use the Hi-Power mode!
 
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Ty89m

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All good to know! I'm more concerned about the Arya, as I'm told it's relatively power hungry. What I can't find is just how much power is necessary while leaving sufficient headroom. Also, attempting to look at specs for this, and knowing my Arya is around 32ohm, what's the RME outputting in high-power mode?

If it wasn't 100% ideal for planers, wondering what might be a good option. I'm half tempted to grab the RME AND the THX 788 as the price is right for feature, and with balanced out has what appears to be more than enough power for anything.
 
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Ty89m

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No, referring to the Monoprice Monolith 788 w/ DAC.

Had the THX 789 been available currently, I'd grab one just to toy with and sell off down the road if necessary.

Amirm, you feel fairly optimistic about the RME pushing the Arya sufficiently? Fairly certain you did the testing ;)
 

soundwave76

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Yes, ADI-2 is fantastic and keep in mind it’s EQ feature, which you should definetly try with for example Rtings or oratory1990 measurements. ADI-2 also has a great ’smart loudness’ for low volume hp listening.
 

amirm

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Amirm, you feel fairly optimistic about the RME pushing the Arya sufficiently? Fairly certain you did the testing ;)
I don't know about Arya actually. I just know the RME has good bit of power.
 
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Ty89m

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Alright, I'll get one ordered tonight - always pair it with something more powerful down the road if needed. Specs show output power at around 1.5w max output, but doesn't specify at what headphone impedance that's measured at. Just trying to get a sense on where this sits in comparison to the JDS Atom and others etc.
 

peterwen

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I also have the HD800, and I used it with the VMV D1+thx 789.

Recently I am considering buying Sabaj d5, but Amazon.jp is out of stock now
 

AresHarvest

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I'm half tempted to grab the RME AND the THX 788 as the price is right for feature, and with balanced out has what appears to be more than enough power for anything.

Buy one or the other, not both. Each is a DAC/amp combo, and I think you will find quickly diminishing returns when getting two.
 
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Ty89m

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Yes, I’d agree - was just curious what the extra power via balanced had to offer, if anything at all. Also wanted to see what all the fuss was about with THX AAA amps.

Have the RME arriving tomorrow regardless, might grab the EC Jr Tube amp on Massdrop to toy with.
 
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