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Review and Measurements of RME ADI-2 DAC

Spaceframe

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Did you normalize the volume?

Are you sure it's not just louder?
No, it is not just louder. It sounds less digital and more musical with 15V. Give it a try with selective V output PSU and see if you like the change. Anyway, it has not done any harm to my unit so far. : )
 

Doodski

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No, it is not just louder. It sounds less digital and more musical with 15V. Give it a try with selective V output PSU and see if you like the change. Anyway, it has not done any harm to my unit so far. : )
With a increased supply voltage it's possible the analogue circuits are outputting a slightly higher voltage/signal. I think this type of unit will have tightly regulated voltage regulators and so I doubt it. Without seeing a schematic it's all speculative. It is possible you are hearing a slightly louder sound with the 15V supply.
 

watchnerd

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With a increased supply voltage it's possible the analogue circuits are outputting a slightly higher voltage/signal. I think this type of unit will have tightly regulated voltage regulators and so I doubt it. Without seeing a schematic it's all speculative. It is possible you are hearing a slightly louder sound with the 15V supply.

Equally possible it's all placebo.
 

MC_RME

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With a increased supply voltage it's possible the analogue circuits are outputting a slightly higher voltage/signal. I think this type of unit will have tightly regulated voltage regulators and so I doubt it..

There is definitely zero change on the internal supply voltages when feeding 8V up to around 17 V DC.

Without seeing a schematic it's all speculative. It is possible you are hearing a slightly louder sound with the 15V supply.

Not with this unit. There is zero measurable difference over the above voltage range, and consequently no audible difference. It seems clear that the test procedure is flawed and Spaceframe entered the wrong forum.
 

BDWoody

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No, it is not just louder. It sounds less digital and more musical with 15V. Give it a try with selective V output PSU and see if you like the change. Anyway, it has not done any harm to my unit so far. : )

Why don't you keep increasing it? I'll bet it keeps getting better and better.

Won't know unless you try.

Edit: Not seriously suggesting this.
 
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MC_RME

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Please don't encourage voltages that might break the unit. Above 15 V is not recommended. Chapter 6 of the manual has more details of the internal power supply design.
 
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J.I.T

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The Pro Fs has the same DA updates as the DAC, and is infact slightly better too (two AKM AK4490 vs one). They probably make a lot more money on the Pro just because pro audio is their main market and they are very good at it, so it has a lot of reasons to exist. It's probably the best desktop form factor AD you can buy.

Removing digital I/O to save costs is a totally reasonable thing. A majority of people in a HiFi setting aren't going to use any of the digital outputs, and are unlikely to use AES. The extra features in the ADI-2 Pro are actually much more complex and expensive to implement.

For comparison, this is the PCB of the DAC

qXzMPkF.jpg


And this is the Pro (non Fs)

M4n2Tlm.jpg

ty for your photos and I feel somewhat interesting about difference between both pcb and my adi 2 pro fs version also.

from your photos, non fs pro don't have potentiometer(or dial?) on pcb but adi 2 have it.
I didn't take photo but I just open up my 2 pro fs today for adding heatsink on chipsets
and I found 2 pro fs also has similar potentiameter on pcb as adi 2 did on your photo

what is purpose of those potentiometers ? final tuning for matching channels?
 

mcgo

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Word is on the RME forums a third variant (“C”) of ADI-2 DAC has been shipping to customers over the past two weeks with an ESS DAC CHIP.

—— > ES9028Q2M <——
 

Exirion

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Word is on the RME forums a third variant (“C”) of ADI-2 DAC has been shipping to customers over the past two weeks with an ESS DAC CHIP.

—— > ES9028Q2M <——
As of yesterday I own one. Excellent piece of gear.
 

restorer-john

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Had a good laugh yesterday when the remote dropped and exposed the added weights for some more oemph in the remote.

Plenty of other brands have done it too. I have an Accuphase preamplifier with 'added weights' in its otherwise standard remote of the era- all to give it a better 'expensive feel' in the hand. Cambridge Audio did it on their multiplayer remotes.

Audiophiles want 'heft' as it equates to quality. Yes, it's absolute and utter BS.
 
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