Review and Measurements of RME ADI-2 Pro (comparison to ADI-2 DAC)

[pos]

Here goes: https://audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/motu-8a-measurements.2342/page-2#post-107541

 

[andreasmaaan]

True,

I have switched back and forth many times between the RME and Motu, of-course this could be placebo, but to my ears, transients are more defined in the RME, there is a resolution there that I don't hear with the Motu. Its most noticable with acoustic guitars and rhythmic components. The motu is still very good and sounds great but the RME just seems a level up to my ears (ofcourse there could be lots of confirmation bias involved). I have also compared this to the Project Audio Pre S2 which sounded pretty great aswell.

I guess you'll never know until you do a blind comparison... To avoid having to buy a hardware switcher, you could simply record each DAC's output at the same voltage level into the ADC of the Adi-2 Pro, make comparison files of the same few pieces of music with them, and then use a software ABX comparator (eg in Foobar) to see if you can pick the reliably difference.

Incorporating the RME's ADC wouldn't be strictly kosher, but I can't imagine it could add audible distortion. You'd need to be very careful about level matching prior to recording into the ADC, however.

 

[hiddentunnel]

I guess you'll never know until you do a blind comparison... To avoid having to buy a hardware switcher, you could simply record each DAC's output at the same voltage level into the ADC of the Adi-2 Pro, make comparison files of the same few pieces of music with them, and then use a software ABX comparator (eg in Foobar) to see if you can pick the reliably difference.

Incorporating the RME's ADC wouldn't be strictly kosher, but I can't imagine it could add audible distortion. You'd need to be very careful about level matching prior to recording into the ADC, however.

I could do this - i also have another AD converter I can use, so I would not have to use the Motu or the RME's AD

 

[andreasmaaan]

I could do this - i also have another AD converter I can use, so I would not have to use the Motu or the RME's AD

Would be interested to know the outcome if you can be bothered doing the test

I'd just use whichever is the best AD you have.

 

[hiddentunnel]

Would be interested to know the outcome if you can be bothered doing the test

I'd just use whichever is the best AD you have.

I'll do it, either today or sometime within the week. Any piece of music someone would like me to test? Also, anyone know a mac version of something like foobar for blind tests? I'll use the BLA White Sparrow (has more THD than the RME and Motu during my lasts tests, but sounds way better to me, and is always my chosen converter)

 

[andreasmaaan]

I'll do it, either today or sometime within the week. Any piece of music someone would like me to test? Also, anyone know a mac version of something like foobar for blind tests? I'll use the BLA White Sparrow (has more THD than the RME and Motu during my lasts tests, but sounds way better to me, and is always my chosen converter)

Use recordings you're familiar with and which you believe you can pick a difference with when doing sighted listening I'd say.

You could also try with both ADCs to see if the results differ.

 

[BurritoJustice]

Archimago tested the jitter of the Pro Fs and it measured better than even the UDP-205, he also got 20b of effective resolution and generally top tier measurements. This was also using the RME as loopback, nothing as fancy as the APx555.

I'd love to get mine to Amir for testing when it ships but the shop is in Germany, Amir is in America, and I'm in Australia so it would need to fully lap the world to do the round trip on the way

 

[BurritoJustice]

@amirm

Fun fact about the ADI-2 Pro, while the unit has two AKM4490, only one chip is used for the main outputs on the back of the unit. The other is dedicated to the PH 3/4 output. Officially recommended in the warranty is changing the front headphones outs to balanced and then using two 1/4" TRS to XLR3 cables as lineouts. Shame this wasn't tested, RME states that using the front balanced outputs leads to 6dB better SNR and I am inclined to believe them.

 

[amirm]

@amirm

Fun fact about the ADI-2 Pro, while the unit has two AKM4490, only one chip is used for the main outputs on the back of the unit. The other is dedicated to the PH 3/4 output. Officially recommended in the warranty is changing the front headphones outs to balanced and then using two 1/4" TRS to XLR3 cables as lineouts. Shame this wasn't tested, RME states that using the front balanced outputs leads to 6dB better SNR and I am inclined to believe them.

I had noticed that before but did not know about the better performance of front jack. I don't have the unit anymore to test it.

 

[nefilim]

I had noticed that before but did not know about the better performance of front jack. I don't have the unit anymore to test it.

Oh no, what are you using as AD now for measurements?

 

[nefilim]

I had noticed that before but did not know about the better performance of front jack. I don't have the unit anymore to test it.

Any idea where one would find such a connector to connect to the headphone jack? I actually could really use 2 additional analog channels with mine. Even better if they are balanced.

 

[Jimster480]

Oh no, what are you using as AD now for measurements?

What? He has a APTX555?

 

[amirm]

Oh no, what are you using as AD now for measurements?

I gave up on using ADI-2 Pro for measurements a while back due to lack of good software to control it. I purchased an Audio Precision APx555 instead. See: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...s-a-new-audio-precision-analyzer-apx555.3442/

 

[BurritoJustice]

Any idea where one would find such a connector to connect to the headphone jack? I actually could really use 2 additional analog channels with mine. Even better if they are balanced.

You can get a separate (able to be used simultaneously) unbalanced stereo channel by using a 6.35mm TRS to dual RCA/TS cable in the PH3/4 output. If you want to get a balanced output from the front it can't be use simultaneously with the rear output, but you can toggle them easily. Use two 6.35mm TRS to XLR3 cables, make sure they are balanced mono cables. In this case, set balanced phones mode to "Auto" and "phone -> line" to "1/2+3/4" so that a long press on the main encoder swaps between the rear and front outputs.

This method uses one AK4490 per channel which allows the higher SNR.

 

[derp1n]

New firmware out: https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?pid=135971

 

[Fone]

I use the RME BabyFace Pro, a completely different beast designed for bedroom recording studios.

It is principally for my Virtual Instruments (synth, piano, etc.). Good engineering around the FPGA and Windows drivers allows industry leading MIDI performance and low latencies.

It is on my desk so I use it with headphones to listen to music. But it was built principally for studio recording work so not a first-choice for audiophiles. . .

 

[Eurasian]

I use a Babyface Pro, too. It came with my BACCH4Mac system and is a fine DAC as well as a versatile digital interface.

 

[chungjun]

New Firmware out:-

https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=28058

 

[tlr]

Has anyone used a battery pack with the RME ADI-2 DAC? Not for portable use, of course, but just for some freedom within the house.

 

[wynpalmer]

Hi,

new member here. I have been reading this and currently have an RME ADI-PRO 2(non fs version). To me it sounds great, is the jitter something that will be noticeable when listening, the type to mess with transients or is this such a subtle thing that it is almost not noticeable?

I'm a recently introduced member. I have a Korg DS DAC-10r that I've been digitizing LPs with, a topping D50 and a RME ADI-2 PRO FS with fully updated firmware/drivers

that I was using for recording and audio test purposes.
I recently decided to move the RME into the main audio system and have displaced the Korg and Topping. This was done mostly to enable my wife to feel comfortable with the audio system (she won't touch the LP playback system) and secondarily to allow equalization for a set of Sennheiser HD800S headphones that I am not totally happy with. Previously the headphones were driven through an attenuator from my main power amps- which worked well- or by the Korg which did not work so well.
I, amongst other things, was a designer of sub ps integrated jitter clocks (sub 100fs in some cases) and I'm quite intrigued by the whole clock issue in audio. To measure jitter we used Agilent 5052s. At approaching 100k/unit it's not something that I'm likely to install in my home lab.
The RME is still available for testing purposes, but I would prefer to follow the audioscience testing regimen if at all possible, so is there a procedure/list of test software etc. that I can follow? I'm new to the site and I've not delved deeply into its resources as yet.
I debated loaning my RME, but alas, I can't persuade myself to give it up at the moment.