Review and Measurements of RME ADI-2 DAC

[MC_RME]

Zero problem, see Amir's measurements for high impedance phones.

 

[naish]

I have a Benchmark Dac1 hdr on a loan at this moment and love the sound. But it is older dac.

Should the RME be at step up from the Dac1?

I have a Purufi Eval2 power amp.

The dealer asks €750 for this Benchmark Dac1 and I don't know if the price is right.

 

[Jimbob54]

I have a Benchmark Dac1 hdr on a loan at this moment and love the sound. But it is older dac.

Should the RME be at step up from the Dac1?

I have a Purufi Eval2 power amp.

The dealer asks €750 for this Benchmark Dac1 and I don't know if the price is right.

Step up in sound? No. Quite possibly in features and function

 

[naish]

Step up in sound? No. Quite possibly in features and function

Thanks for your anwser.
I think there are a lot of years of development between de Dac1 and the RME maybe there is some improvement.
Don't care about the features and function.

 

[Jimbob54]

Thanks for your anwser.
I think there are a lot of years of development between de Dac1 and the RME maybe there is some improvement.
Don't care about the features and function.

Certainly wouldnt pay $700 for an old DAC- but also sounds like you needn't pay RME ADI 2 prices either if you dont need its features. Why dont you look at the review tables on here , see what a $200 modern DAC can do for you and spend the rest on music then?

 

[naish]

I red almost all reviews here.
I had a bad experience with an Audiophonics Purifi amp and send it back. This was with a Loxije D50.
Now I have a Purifi amp from a dealer who builds this himself. Excellent!
So, I became a bit careful and though the safest choice is a Rme Adi.
But, I am open for suggestions.
..sorry a bit of topic.…

 

[Xyrium]

MotU Ultralight 5?
Anything in that same price range from Topping?
Minidsp Flex with balanced outs?

That said, I have the ADI2-DAC and it has operated flawlessly. Love the remote as well, helps me become even lazier while at my desktop. If I recall correctly, Amir may not have actually recommended it.

 

[srkbear]

MotU Ultralight 5?
Anything in that same price range from Topping?
Minidsp Flex with balanced outs?

That said, I have the ADI2-DAC and it has operated flawlessly. Love the remote as well, helps me become even lazier while at my desktop. If I recall correctly, Amir may not have actually recommended it.

He recommended it for its suite of functionalities as a DAC/preamp/amp/DSP all-in-one, but in terms of its measurements as a pure DAC it did not rise to the level of several less expensive offerings. And he had some ergonomic reservations about its settings interface and some compatibility issues with Roon.

Since the release of the RME ADI-2, Topping, Gustard and Okto have produced units that outperform it on the oscilloscope for considerably less cost (although whether the nuances in SINAD and multi tone are audible among his current top ten is dubious, and pretty much all of what he refers to as “modern” DACs are nailing linearity).

I think for those looking for a full-function audiophile setup in one device, the RME still sits at the top (if MQA is not an issue). Personally, I chose to go with the Topping D90se with an iFi Pro iCAN Signature as my amplifier, a choice I made to accommodate very power-hungry cans, to add some analog bass emphasis with the ifi’s xBass feature, and to make the most of my Tidal subscription.

In terms of alternatives, the new Gustard x18 got a rave from Amir and it’s even cheaper than the d90SE at $799–and it also does not have the S/PDIF input receiver hiccups the Topping has. The only downside I see to it is a curious lack of I2S pinout compatibility adjustments, if that would be an issue for some reason.

 

[Rja4000]

combination of features and performance pushes me to give the RME ADI-2 FS DAC V2 my strong recommendation.

It's also the voltage that you can push from it, which allows driving the very best speaker amps at their lowest gain, for overall better performance.

 

[srkbear]

It's also the voltage that you can push from it, which allows driving the very best speaker amps at their lowest gain, for overall better performance.

Yes the ability to push output up to 10 volts is unique and would be advantageous for those looking to pair it with an amp that could make the most of it.

My only quibble with this is that when one purchases the RME, they’re paying for an all-in-one device that has its own headphone amplifier built in—so pairing it with a separate amp renders that extra expense superfluous. I already have a separate amp and prefer pairing it with a DAC-only option. Are you aware of any such DAC that outputs such high voltages via XLR? My Topping maxes out around 5.2v.

 

[Rja4000]

pairing it with a separate amp renders that extra expense superfluous.

I was speaking about speaker amp.
Purifi or Benchmark or similar, which perform better at low gain.

 

[srkbear]

I was speaking about speaker amp.
Purifi or Benchmark or similar, which perform better at low gain.

Thanks for the clarification, my mistake. I could use further clarification about the term, which I’m unfamiliar with. By “speaker amp” do you mean amplifiers for floor/desktop speakers vs headphones, or do you mean powered speakers?

 

[Rja4000]

amplifiers for floor/desktop speakers

That's what I mean, indeed

 

[srkbear]

That's what I mean, indeed

OK, thanks—but in that case I think I had an original point in there that I really didn’t communicate well.

What I meant to say is that when buying the RME, you’re paying for a preamp, headphone amplifier and DSP, in addition to a DAC. Since I’m a headphones-only guy for the most part, I was asking whether you knew of any straight-up DAC-only units that put out similarly high voltages as the XLR outputs on the RME?

I ask because in my case I chose to purchase a suite of components each dedicated to one task, and my Topping puts out 5.2V—which I considered fairly high at the time…

 

[Vas]

Hello, I have 2 pairs of OPA Bursons (V6 classic and vivid) )at home. Would it make sense to test and replace with the original?

 

[Doodski]

Hello, I have 2 pairs of OPA Bursons (V6 classic and vivid) )at home. Would it make sense to test and replace with the original?

What would be really awesome is approaching @amirm regarding possibly sending in the OP amps and the unit and maybe he can test them all and see what's happening.