New RME ADI-2 Pro EX DAC

[Roland68]

If it weren't for Asahi Kasei's original early process, but rather the later AKM outsourced to a foundry instead, the pinouts and sound localization might end up being completely different...?"

Certainly not.
The production of ICs and other components is very often outsourced or contracted out to third parties, but that changes nothing regarding the layout, pinout, or functionality.
Why would it?

 

[longts]

Well, only two channels!

 

[mimicat963]

Certainly not.
The production of ICs and other components is very often outsourced or contracted out to third parties, but that changes nothing regarding the layout, pinout, or functionality.
Why would it?

The core design outsourced to the OEM has been modified and differs from our in-house manufactured version. You can search AI tools or relevant literature for more data on this."

 

[Roland68]

The core design outsourced to the OEM has been modified and differs from our in-house manufactured version. You can search AI tools or relevant literature for more data on this."

We are industrial manufacturers ourselves and supply our products to various sectors of electronics manufacturing—including chipmakers—so I am quite familiar with this area.
Which DAC chip did this happen with?

 

[BassTinker]

This thread and the "ADI 2 Series Discontinued, any news on successor?" one are becoming very much the same. Mods, maybe we can somehow merge them or close one? For completion, leaving this here from the other thread:

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

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1622127306586917&set=pcb.1622127336586914

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.

 

[Chagall]

Price: 2.068 €. In stock within 5-7 weeks

RME ADI-2 Pro EX

High-End USB AD/DA Converter and Headphone Amplifier Sample frequency up to 768 kHz (PCM), AK4493 DAC-Chip, DSD playback and recording, 2.5 dB of analogue headroom and 4 dB of digital headroom, Built-in sample rate converter, Safety concept and...

www.thomann.de

 

[3125b]

Still very happy with my 1st gen Pro FS that's about 8 years old now.

It's just unfortunate they'll never make a matching desktop power amp.

 

[Roland68]

Still very happy with my 1st gen Pro FS that's about 8 years old now.

It's just unfortunate they'll never make a matching desktop power amp.

RME’s products are so strong because the company focuses on what it does best.
An RME power amplifier would not be a budget-friendly option, and significant development effort would be required to compete with manufacturers like 3E Audio, Hypex- and Purifi-based units, Benchmark, and—for instance—the Topping B200.
Affordable desktop amplifiers and power amps that deliver excellent measurements are already available starting at €50 (excluding the power supply), and these have proven to be very robust and durable.

It would certainly be fascinating to see what a manufacturer like RME could achieve with a fully digital amplifier concept—such as the one from Axign—but that wouldn't really align well with their ADI product line.

 

[BassTinker]

First close-up picture of the ADI-2/4 Pro EX could find so far. Only the front, unfortunately.

Source:

Blog: High End Vienna 2026 Show Report Part 1

This is the High End Vienna 2026 report of the show. Come on in and enjoy all the eye candy in Part 1 of our yearly picture report!

www.headfonia.com

 

[BassTinker]

More official information given by RME Co-Founder Matthias Carstens in the official RME forum @MC_RME

Source: https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?pid=252454#p252454

As was leaked the next 2/4 Pro EX will have a digital gain without RIAA option, extending the Ref Levels on Line input down to -35 dBu. In that setting SNR is still 90 dB - CD quality, no audible noise. Other than typical mic preamps you get full bandwidth and super low THD. So it's more than good enough to connect a (2) dynamic mic(s), or 2 condensors if you have a phantom power supply, and use it for whatever is needed.

This is a usefull 'tool' addition, not a replacement for dedicated, professional mic preamps.

And to answer the next obvious question: these new RIAA centered features were possible due to the updated ASP in the updated ADC chip, so can most probably not be back-ported to existing 2/4 Pro SE.

I am a bit unclear what "digital gain without RIAA option" means. So you can enable/disable the RIAA filter on the balanced input for whatever use that is not phono (mics etc.). And when you turn it off, you still end up with an SNR of 90 dB. Do I understand that correctly?

And do the analog inputs have impedance matching options for both MC and MM phono pick-ups? Or just MM like the old 2/4 SE?

 

[Rngrsn94]

RME website :

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

So the ES9039Q2M should be for both ADI-2 DAC EX and ADI-2/4 PRO EX, but not the ADI-2 PRO EX.

Has it been confirmed that the ADI-2 DAC EX will get the ES9039Q2M chipset?

 

[Bland_username42069]

Source: https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?pid=252454#p252454



I am a bit unclear what "digital gain without RIAA option" means. So you can enable/disable the RIAA filter on the balanced input for whatever use that is not phono (mics etc.). And when you turn it off, you still end up with an SNR of 90 dB. Do I understand that correctly?

And do the analog inputs have impedance matching options for both MC and MM phono pick-ups? Or just MM like the old 2/4 SE?

yes that makes far more sense than the previous announcement

Now you can use it as a flat phono preamp without EQ which is a popular way to do sound restoration OR you can program your own EQ curves if you are playing 78s making it a universal preamp.

This simple tweek was all the original 2/4 needed imo to maximise its potential as a phono preamp / digitising solution.

I can’t see why this cannot also be added in a firmware update to the original 2/4. (Pleeeease)

 

[BassTinker]

Has it been confirmed that the ADI-2 DAC EX will get the ES9039Q2M chipset?

You have to distinguish between models:
- ADI-2 DAC EX converters have not been officially confirmed
- ADI-2 Pro EX has AK5574 ADC and AK4493 DAC (confirmed by RMEs website)
- ADI-2/4 Pro EX: according to musicnetwork.ag it will have the ES9039Q2M DAC and ES9823Pro ADC. However still not confirmed by RME.

 

[rcstevensonaz]

You have to distinguish between models:
- ADI-2 EX converters have not been officially confirmed
- ADI-2 Pro EX has AK5574 ADC and AK4493 DAC (confirmed by RMEs website)
- ADI-2/4 Pro EX will most likely have the ES9039Q2M DAC, but still not confirmed by RME. ADC of 2/4 Pro EX unknown, but presumably also an ESS chip.

Are you sure that @Rngrsn94 wasn't precise?

Please correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the ADI-2 EX lineup includes the following:
- ADI-2 DAC EX
- ADI-2 Pro EX
- ADI-2/4 Pro EX

 

[BassTinker]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the ADI-2 EX lineup includes the following:
- ADI-2 DAC EX

Oops you are are right on this one. The correct naming of the most basic model is ADI-2 DAC EX. I corrected my post above. Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[Pearljam5000]

You have to distinguish between models:
- ADI-2 DAC EX converters have not been officially confirmed
- ADI-2 Pro EX has AK5574 ADC and AK4493 DAC (confirmed by RMEs website)
- ADI-2/4 Pro EX will most likely have the ES9039Q2M DAC, but still not confirmed by RME. ADC of 2/4 Pro EX unknown, but presumably also an ESS chip.

Why would they use AKM in some of the models and ESS in other models?

 

[BassTinker]

I can’t see why this cannot also be added in a firmware update to the original 2/4. (Pleeeease)

Quoting RME: "these new RIAA centered features were possible due to the updated ASP in the updated ADC chip, so can most probably not be back-ported to existing 2/4 Pro SE."

So maybe thats also partly an answer to your question @Pearljam5000 . Maybe the ESS chips have extended functionality in this regard. Additionally, improved distortion and noise performance over the AKM chips was mentioned in other sources. But we're poking in the dark here.

 

[Roland68]

Why would they use AKM in some of the models and ESS in other models?

Why not?
RME selects the ideal DAC and ADC chip for each device based on its specific price point and intended use.
Moreover, RME is a reputable, professional manufacturer that produces neutral, uncolored equipment; consequently, the specific manufacturer of the DAC chip doesn't matter as long as it meets the specifications—and RME has experience with both manufacturers. You won't hear a difference between ESS and AKM chips in RME products.
Besides, a clean implementation is far more important than the actual DAC chip itself.

You can also find further information in the article by @VintageFlanker.
RME ADI-2 DAC FS - AKM Versus ESS Measurements (DAC, Preamp & Headamp)

 

[Sokel]

They are still to define if the AK4493 DAC chip they use is the newest S one or the 2018 EQ version or the even older one.

 

[Roland68]

They are still to define if the AK4493 DAC chip they use is the newest S one or the 2018 EQ version or the even older one.

Since RME had to switch its AK4493-based products to ESS following the fire—because none of the AK4493 chips produced prior to the fire were available anymore—we can reasonably assume that the new production run of the chip is being used.