RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE - RIAA mode measurements

[morillon]

I considered buying this device because of the turntable support, but I won't buy it.

As I see, in a device for 2500 Euro there is no lead to connect the grounding wire, so I think that the manufacturer of this device is not serious and the turntable support was added in a makeshift manner. Connecting the grounding wire to the mounting of one of the sockets made me laugh to tears.
The manufacturer should be ashamed of it. Such a solution could be proposed by a Chinese manufacturer of a device for 100 EUR, not a manufacturer of a device for 2500 EUR.

There is also something like the convenience of using this device when using a turntable. The display in this device is small, there are many options to choose from, so using it is very inconvenient. Much, much, incomparably, much easier to operate a device where we set the selection options using separate large potentiometers.
Imagine that we want to use this device professionally, i.e. we have to check, test, several, a dozen or so cartridges, turntables, etc. during the day.
That would be a nightmare.

In the case of using a turntable, this device is a toy for audiophiles from internet forums, not professional devices for work.
This device is definitely not a preamplifier for a turntable.

It's just a little bonus offered , later , from rme by developing their dsp mode a little and taking advantage of the wide range offered by their inputs...on a machine that was not intended for this use... your tone is really inappropriate...

 

[MaxwellsEq]

This device is definitely not a preamplifier for a turntable.

It's clear from its marketing material, specifications and manual that it is an ADC / DAC interface supporting S/PDIF, AES/EBU, ADAT, USB etc.

It ALSO has sufficient headroom on the ADC side and built-in highly accurate, software, RIAA equalisation. This means you can plug a turntable in and digitise the contents.

Imagine that we want to use this device professionally, i.e. we have to check, test, several, a dozen or so cartridges, turntables, etc. during the day.

Who does that?

 

[KSTR]

As I see, in a device for 2500 Euro there is no lead to connect the grounding wire, so I think that the manufacturer of this device is not serious and the turntable support was added in a makeshift manner. Connecting the grounding wire to the mounting of one of the sockets made me laugh to tears.

If you are willing to spent €2500 then you will also be able to deal with that easily, as there are many ways to get the GND connection.

Of course MM phono preamp (it can do plain preamp mode) or digitizer was not the main focus of the device, rather that was implemented because it was possible and it is absolutely good enough in terms of performance, plus you have all the DSP features like EQ and so on.
The RME is a very professional universal audio toolbox and the phono feature is a worthwhile extension.

 

[Aero]

It ALSO has sufficient headroom on the ADC side and built-in highly accurate, software, RIAA equalisation.

Yes, the word "ALSO" is key here.

I will also ask whether this device also offers support for all available options for selecting different settings on a computer monitor screen or are we doomed to operate the device only on the device's mini screen?
I ask because I may decide to buy a device without RIAA support if I can operate this device conveniently on a large computer monitor screen.

 

[MaxwellsEq]

Yes, the word "ALSO" is key here.

I will also ask whether this device also offers support for all available options for selecting different settings on a computer monitor screen or are we doomed to operate the device only on the device's mini screen?
I ask because I may decide to buy a device without RIAA support if I can operate this device conveniently on a large computer monitor screen.

Software included with your RME Audio Interface - 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

 

[morillon]

Yes, the word "ALSO" is key here.

I will also ask whether this device also offers support for all available options for selecting different settings on a computer monitor screen or are we doomed to operate the device only on the device's mini screen?
I ask because I may decide to buy a device without RIAA support if I can operate this device conveniently on a large computer monitor screen.

a good phono and a decent sound card downstream will be enough for you... especially since your need seems to be quite specific.... "experimental"

 

[MaxwellsEq]

@Aero I'm not convinced that the RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE is the right device for you. Your negativity towards it suggests you will find cause to criticise it, should you buy it.

I own the previous ADI-2 Pro FS Be and it's extremely complicated. Even after more than a year of ownership I stumble upon some feature I'd previously not noticed (despite reading the brilliant manual).

If what you want is phono configuration flexibility (gain, capacitance, resistance) and state of the art performance, you may be better with one of the excellent measuring devices from @Michael Fidler . Then a good quality sound card or USB interface would work for you if you want to do some digitisation.

Alternatively, the Waxwing may be a good choice, especially regarding flexibility in the digital domain.

 

[Aero]

a good phono and a decent sound card downstream will be enough for you... especially since your need seems to be quite specific.... "experimental"

I bought the Focusritte Clarett 2 Pre+ USB, I'm happy with it, but it has a hopeless headphone output, a disaster.

So I connected the Clarett card to the NAD 1155 preamplifier (vintage model), which has an incomparably better headphone output, plus it supports a turntable. It was good, but I wanted better

I changed the Chinese headphones to the Sennheiser HD 620 S model and unfortunately these headphones play much worse with the NAD 1155 than the previous Chinese headphones. When they play quietly it's quite ok, but when listening loudly they play badly.....
So I'm looking for a preamplifier (or amplifier) with good RIAA support, with an output, RCA input (to support the Clarett card) and a headphone output that will be good for the Sennheiser HD 620 S headphones
Preferably in a large size of 43 cm, and control on potentiometers
I would like such a device to be from a similar price range as the other elements.

 

[MaxwellsEq]

I bought the Focusritte Clarett 2 Pre+ USB, I'm happy with it, but it has a hopeless headphone output, a disaster.

So I connected the Clarett card to the NAD 1155 preamplifier (vintage model), which has an incomparably better headphone output, plus it supports a turntable. It was good, but I wanted better

I changed the Chinese headphones to the Sennheiser HD 620 S model and unfortunately these headphones play much worse with the NAD 1155 than the previous Chinese headphones. When they play quietly it's quite ok, but when listening loudly they play badly.....
So I'm looking for a preamplifier (or amplifier) with good RIAA support, with an output, RCA input (to support the Clarett card) and a headphone output that will be good for the Sennheiser HD 620 S headphones
Preferably in a large size of 43 cm, and control on potentiometers
I would like such a device to be from a similar price range as the other elements.

This is now off-topic and no longer about the RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE. Please start a new thread.

 

[pkane]

I considered buying this device because of the turntable support, but I won't buy it.

As I see, in a device for 2500 Euro there is no lead to connect the grounding wire, so I think that the manufacturer of this device is not serious and the turntable support was added in a makeshift manner. Connecting the grounding wire to the mounting of one of the sockets made me laugh to tears.
The manufacturer should be ashamed of it. Such a solution could be proposed by a Chinese manufacturer of a device for 100 EUR, not a manufacturer of a device for 2500 EUR.

There is also something like the convenience of using this device when using a turntable. The display in this device is small, there are many options to choose from, so using it is very inconvenient. Much, much, incomparably, much easier to operate a device where we set the selection options using separate large potentiometers.
Imagine that we want to use this device professionally, i.e. we have to check, test, several, a dozen or so cartridges, turntables, etc. during the day.
That would be a nightmare.

In the case of using a turntable, this device is a toy for audiophiles from internet forums, not professional devices for work.
This device is definitely not a preamplifier for a turntable.

What a silly comment! The manual tells you how to connect the ground, there is no problem whatsoever doing so. The RIAA curve is much more precisely implemented in this device than any analog phono stage. The headphone amplifier is one of the best on the market, and its digital and analog capabilities don't exist in any device out there, at any price. I use it for many of the functions (from turntable to digital, to room correction / EQ, loudness function, headphones, speakers, doing measurements and digital signal conversions, DSD recording, ...) and that's likely only about 30% of what the device is actually capable of.

will also ask whether this device also offers support for all available options for selecting different settings on a computer monitor screen or are we doomed to operate the device only on the device's mini screen?

Yes, it does. Can be controlled from a Mac, a PC, or an iPad. Very convenient, and I use it every time I turn it on if I have a computer nearby.

 

[Aero]

Yes, it does. Can be controlled from a Mac, a PC, or an iPad.

This is a big plus.

Digital correction related to cartridge imperfections, etc., is also a BIG plus.
I have to think about it again

 

[DrCWO]

As I see, in a device for 2500 Euro there is no lead to connect the grounding wire, so I think that the manufacturer of this device is not serious and the turntable support was added in a makeshift manner.

Before you insult RME and assume that they are not serious, please note the following:

RCA cabling is always the worse choice compared to balanced XLR cabling because the signal runs through the shielding. It is not without reason that all tested DACs have a better SINAD on the XLR output
You should simply connect your phono pickup via a balanced XLR cable to the ADI-2/4. Then you don't need the auxiliary ground wire because it only became necessary due to the inadequacies of the RCA cabling.
If you decide to go via XLR, make sure that none of the pins on the pickup are on ground!

5P-XLR-CC Phonokabel 82 cm

Das Pro-Ject 5P-XLR-CC ist die "Allzweckwaffe" von Pro-Ject. Es ist qualitativ hochwertig und langlebig. Zur Verbindung des Tonarms mit dem…

www.vinylnerds.de

More about that here:

Introducing the Phono Cartridge Measurement Library

I use it stock. I run digital RIAA though the filters I posted on the script thread. The set up is exactly as I describe it on the sticky on this thread and is very simple. The low impedance is no issue with 24-32 bit recording on my laptop and the output is at the level I would want...

audiosciencereview.com

 

[HerbertWest]

A.. peculiar selection criteria, but to each their own I guess. FYI if you don’t like the method proposed on page 108 of the manual, at least in the adi2 pro fs r be there were mount point under the unit’s chassis that could be used.

Not even going into the large pot stuff. I like my remote.

 

[Aero]

Before you insult RME and assume that they are not serious, please note the following:

RCA cabling is always the worse choice compared to balanced XLR cabling because the signal runs through the shielding. It is not without reason that all tested DACs have a better SINAD on the XLR output
You should simply connect your phono pickup via a balanced XLR cable to the ADI-2/4. Then you don't need the auxiliary ground wire because it only became necessary due to the inadequacies of the RCA cabling.
If you decide to go via XLR, make sure that none of the pins on the pickup are on ground!

5P-XLR-CC Phonokabel 82 cm

Das Pro-Ject 5P-XLR-CC ist die "Allzweckwaffe" von Pro-Ject. Es ist qualitativ hochwertig und langlebig. Zur Verbindung des Tonarms mit dem…

www.vinylnerds.de

More about that here:

Introducing the Phono Cartridge Measurement Library

I use it stock. I run digital RIAA though the filters I posted on the script thread. The set up is exactly as I describe it on the sticky on this thread and is very simple. The low impedance is no issue with 24-32 bit recording on my laptop and the output is at the level I would want...

audiosciencereview.com

The XRL input has a resistance of 90 kOhm so it is not suitable for most MM cartridges, and I do not intend to use a soldering iron when I spend 2500 UR.
The vast majority of turntables have RCA cables, the RCA input in this device has the appropriate resistance for MM cartridges.

I have another question, does this device allow digital correction of the signal below 20 Hz in RIAA mode? A turntable in this range usually generates a large amplitude of unwanted resonance.

 

[DrCWO]

The XRL input has a resistance of 90 kOhm so it is not suitable for most MM cartridges, and I do not intend to use a soldering iron when I spend 2500 UR.

Have you read this two posts above
You have to add a resistor between the two XLR pins. It can be soldered inside the XLR connector. Also in the ADI-2/4 Manual...

Introducing the Phono Cartridge Measurement Library

I use it stock. I run digital RIAA though the filters I posted on the script thread. The set up is exactly as I describe it on the sticky on this thread and is very simple. The low impedance is no issue with 24-32 bit recording on my laptop and the output is at the level I would want...

audiosciencereview.com

 

[Aero]

Czytałeś te dwa posty wyżej?
Musisz dodać rezystor między dwoma pinami XLR. Można go przylutować wewnątrz złącza XLR. Również w instrukcji ADI-2/4...

Introducing the Phono Cartridge Measurement Library

I use it stock. I run digital RIAA though the filters I posted on the script thread. The set up is exactly as I describe it on the sticky on this thread and is very simple. The low impedance is no issue with 24-32 bit recording on my laptop and the output is at the level I would want...

audiosciencereview.com

Just because the manufacturer is not serious does not mean that we should be also not serious.

I will spend 2500 EUR and I will have to use a soldering iron because the manufacturer made a makeshift one.

This sounds like a bad joke.

It looks like they added the RIAA support option, via software, but it wasn't followed by a corresponding mechanical change in the device.
In the case of XRL, you have to solder a resistor, and in the case of RCA, you connect the grounding to the screw that secures one of the sockets.
They saved on costs, but this is not serious.

Secondly.

Please try digitizing vinyl records using this device
Obviously, vinyl records often have different volumes, channel volume differences, heck, each track can have different volumes
Now imagine all the manipulations with recording level control, channel balance, using this multi-level menu displayed on this mini display.
For a change, imagine the ease of controlling the recording level when I have two large rotary potentiometers at my disposal, for each channel separately.
This is a cosmic abyss in ergonomics.
If something is for everything, it is usually not good for a specific application.

 

[morillon]

Just because the manufacturer is not serious does not mean that we should be also not serious.

I will spend 2500 EUR and I will have to use a soldering iron because the manufacturer made a makeshift one.

This sounds like a bad joke.

So forget indeed RME...
a pro brand rather very respected but also more respectful than your tone

and good quest...

 

[Aero]

So forget indeed RME...
a pro brand rather very respected but also more respectful than your tone

and good quest...

Yes, it is a respected brand and a serious company, I do not deny it, but the RIAA support in this device is not done seriously.

 

[morillon]

""bonus""
bye

 

[rcstevensonaz]

I considered buying this device because of the turntable support, but I won't buy it.

As I see, in a device for 2500 Euro there is no lead to connect the grounding wire, so I think that the manufacturer of this device is not serious and the turntable support was added in a makeshift manner. Connecting the grounding wire to the mounting of one of the sockets made me laugh to tears.
The manufacturer should be ashamed of it. Such a solution could be proposed by a Chinese manufacturer of a device for 100 EUR, not a manufacturer of a device for 2500 EUR.

There is also something like the convenience of using this device when using a turntable. The display in this device is small, there are many options to choose from, so using it is very inconvenient. Much, much, incomparably, much easier to operate a device where we set the selection options using separate large potentiometers.
Imagine that we want to use this device professionally, i.e. we have to check, test, several, a dozen or so cartridges, turntables, etc. during the day.
That would be a nightmare.

In the case of using a turntable, this device is a toy for audiophiles from internet forums, not professional devices for work.
This device is definitely not a preamplifier for a turntable.

And this post is definitely a toy for trolls, not a professional discussion for audio science.