RME ADI-2 FS Version 2 DAC and Headphone Amp Review

[delta76]

Gotta disagree here. There’s no consumable parts in these and the caps in current age should last more than a few decades. The only issue may be driver support if Windows driver architecture changes for example. But of course electronics fail and along with capacitors, bad quality soldering is the next most common (if not the most common) cause these days.



This is of course a consideration but barring the dac breaking I have promised my wife for it to last the next 10 years so I’m choosing carefully. The RME may be a good choice in terms of resale value since I can get it now for 700€ (quite a bit under the MSRP) and may be able to sell it if need be without a loss. Of course the new models may change this. I’m currently running the EU Apple dongle which is woefully inadequate it feels like especially for the 560s.

Regarding the EQ I much rather have it on device so than on PC as that allow me to use USB switch to use the DAC (and EQ) simultaneously with two or more devices (at least Mac mini and my gaming PC).


Thanks!

Well if you be sure your RME will last you 10 years...
I of course want my RME to last another 5 years. But I am content with the fact it might need repair any day now. If it does it does not stain my belief in the brand as it already has 5y on its neck. At least if it fails I am confident it could be repaired and will continue to work for a long time.

 

[Syvere]

Well if you be sure your RME will last you 10 years...
I of course want my RME to last another 5 years. But I am content with the fact it might need repair any day now. If it does it does not stain my belief in the brand as it already has 5y on its neck. At least if it fails I am confident it could be repaired and will continue to work for a long time.

For sure. Repairability is a big plus. As anyone knows hifi forum frequenters rarely even use the same device for 10 years but at least in theory it should not be a big ask from a device. My DacMagic is still going strong with only the leds having broken and that too is a known issue with the device (they usually break within a year. This is technically my second dacmagic but didn’t bother replacing it the second time for the leds).

I’m wondering about the upcoming new releases though. On one hand wouldn’t really want to wait and the new models are likely much more expensive but on the other it makes you double guess if the current model is the right choice. From what I have read the Pro models may be getting a new model ADI-2-DAC FS is a speculation but would make sense as well to get a new model.

 

[Luvchampagne]

For sure. Repairability is a big plus. As anyone knows hifi forum frequenters rarely even use the same device for 10 years but at least in theory it should not be a big ask from a device. My DacMagic is still going strong with only the leds having broken and that too is a known issue with the device (they usually break within a year. This is technically my second dacmagic but didn’t bother replacing it the second time for the leds).

I’m wondering about the upcoming new releases though. On one hand wouldn’t really want to wait and the new models are likely much more expensive but on the other it makes you double guess if the current model is the right choice. From what I have read the Pro models may be getting a new model ADI-2-DAC FS is a speculation but would make sense as well to get a new model.

Just to be clear, the RME adi2 dac fs is not manufactured in the EU. Made in China.

 

[Roland68]

Well if you be sure your RME will last you 10 years...
I of course want my RME to last another 5 years. But I am content with the fact it might need repair any day now. If it does it does not stain my belief in the brand as it already has 5y on its neck. At least if it fails I am confident it could be repaired and will continue to work for a long time.

I am honestly appalled by your statement and attitude. Your attitude actually shows how sick the whole system has become, not just in the audio sector.
The unfortunate thing is that this attitude and such acceptance will only make the whole system worse.

I come from a time when it was normal for things to last 20-30 years, maybe with one inexpensive repair in between.
My Miele vacuum cleaner is now 24 years old, and the suction power is just as good as it was on day one, and comparable to current models. I can only laugh at vacuum cleaners like Dyson and similar brands.
My second-to-last refrigerator-freezer was 25 years old when I handed it over to the next tenant in working order.
My MacBook is now 13 years old, used daily on the go, and only falters under extreme tasks like large CAD/3D calculations.
My Miele condenser dryer is about 37 years old. I've only had to replace one motor capacitor so far, and it produces zero humidity. Even its energy consumption is still competitive.
My blue Bosch power tools are all over 20 years old and frequently used, as are my ancient 80-watt soldering stations, which have also been working for over 30 years.
I also own a considerable collection of audio equipment that's about 30-40 years old, and whose performance can even compete with current models. Many of them are still running without any repairs or maintenance.
My Cambridge Audio DacMagic 1 from 1994 still runs almost every day (and hopefully will for a long time to come).

I could go on and on, covering all areas.
This was actually the norm.

It's obvious that cheap devices don't last as long, although there are brands that surprise you even there (costing a maximum of two years but easily lasting 5-10 years).
But above a certain price and quality level, I expect both durability and repairability. The latter, in particular, is the exception these days.

 

[delta76]

I am honestly appalled by your statement and attitude. Your attitude actually shows how sick the whole system has become, not just in the audio sector.
The unfortunate thing is that this attitude and such acceptance will only make the whole system worse.

I come from a time when it was normal for things to last 20-30 years, maybe with one inexpensive repair in between.
My Miele vacuum cleaner is now 24 years old, and the suction power is just as good as it was on day one, and comparable to current models. I can only laugh at vacuum cleaners like Dyson and similar brands.
My second-to-last refrigerator-freezer was 25 years old when I handed it over to the next tenant in working order.
My MacBook is now 13 years old, used daily on the go, and only falters under extreme tasks like large CAD/3D calculations.
My Miele condenser dryer is about 37 years old. I've only had to replace one motor capacitor so far, and it produces zero humidity. Even its energy consumption is still competitive.
My blue Bosch power tools are all over 20 years old and frequently used, as are my ancient 80-watt soldering stations, which have also been working for over 30 years.
I also own a considerable collection of audio equipment that's about 30-40 years old, and whose performance can even compete with current models. Many of them are still running without any repairs or maintenance.
My Cambridge Audio DacMagic 1 from 1994 still runs almost every day (and hopefully will for a long time to come).

I could go on and on, covering all areas.
This was actually the norm.

It's obvious that cheap devices don't last as long, although there are brands that surprise you even there (costing a maximum of two years but easily lasting 5-10 years).
But above a certain price and quality level, I expect both durability and repairability. The latter, in particular, is the exception these days.

You also said it yourself

Perhaps you haven't noticed, but there are fewer and fewer quality products, even from well-known companies. Repair options are also dwindling, with only a few exceptions.
Manufacturers who guarantee repairs even after 5 or 10 years can be counted on one hand.

The fact is that most large and/or well-known manufacturers have missed the boat because they relied on outdated designs with sometimes poor performance figures. And the prices charged by many of these manufacturers were exorbitant.
Instead of reinvesting profits in development, they continued to rest on their laurels.

Most of these devices don't have better performance figures or features than they did 30-40 years ago, and they certainly don't have the same quality as those older devices.
I can say this with certainty because I use several of these older devices and have compared them to current models that cost many times more. It's simply ridiculous what large and so-called high-end manufacturers are offering.

My last experience with expensive equipment in the four-figure and even higher four-figure price range from a German high-end manufacturer was simply awful.
Three of these amplifiers broke down within five to six years. My speakers were damaged twice. Although the fault lay in the amplifiers' defective protection circuitry, they refused to take responsibility. I had two amplifiers repaired at the time, but both failed again in less than two years. Luckily, this time I had additional protection circuits for the speakers.
Similar experiences exist among my acquaintances and friends with various reputable and high-end manufacturers.

What these three high-end manufacturers cost me back then, I could easily have bought 50 Topping B100 amplifiers. Even with a lifespan of only two years (i.e., the warranty period if purchased in Germany), they would last 50 years, three times longer than the other three amplifiers. And with significantly better performance.

The now widely used TPA3251/55-based amplifiers, such as the Topping PA5 II, Mini 300, 3E Audio A5/A7, Fosi, Aiyima, etc., not only sound better than most amplifiers costing 10, 20, or even 30 times as much, but they also boast good durability and reliability.

The large, well-known manufacturers have simply messed up. Poor test results, definitely no better sound, increasingly worse service and warranty coverage, more and more defects in the devices, increasingly poor development, etc.—I'm not spending my money on that anymore.
I'll still buy the few exceptions that remain, but I'll weigh the price-performance ratio much more critically.

So, if I have to choose between two evils, I'll choose the one that ultimately costs me less but also delivers more.

I rest my case.

 

[Syvere]

Just to be clear, the RME adi2 dac fs is not manufactured in the EU. Made in China.

What? It directly states on the back of the device itself it's manufactured in Germany.

 

[Ralph_Cramden]

What? It directly states on the back of the device itself it's manufactured in Germany.

Yep. Look at the pic in the very first post of this thread, top left: "Made in Germany".

 

[amper42]

I have three RME ADI-2 DAC FS units. The oldest is a model "B" with AKM 4493 DAC. It's 5 years old and operates like it was taken fresh out of the box. I enjoyed it so much I purchased another 6 months after the first model "B" for another room. Three years later I bought a model "C" ADI-2 DAC FS with ESS chip. They all work great and look just as good as the day they arrived. I feed the remote a new battery each year and they offer flawless operation as a pre-amp, headphone amp and 768kHz USB DAC.

My Topping DAC's never offered the functionality or the capability of the RME Loudness features and ADI software. Best thing I ever did was replace each Topping with a RME ADI-2 DAC FS.

 

[Luvchampagne]

What? It directly states on the back of the device itself it's manufactured in Germany.

this is my understanding of what Mattias Carstens has said in the rme forum

• Germany’s Role: The design, engineering and high-tech manufacturing—the population and testing of the circuit boards—is done in Germany. These completed, tested boards are what get shipped to Hong Kong.
• Assembly & QC in Hong Kong: RME takes these completed pcbs and completes the product. For units destined for global (non-EU) markets, the final functional QC are performed at RME’s facility in Hong Kong. these units do not return to Germany before being shipped to the end customer.
• The "Made in Germany" Justification: RME bases this label on the fact that the "essential character"and most complex part of the device (the populated PCB) were created and verified in Germany. Under international trade rules, they consider this the "substantial transformation" required to use the label, even if the final "box-up" and last check happen in China/Hong Kong.

I could be wrong but I remember reading this on the RME forums.

I've managed pcb operations for fortune 100s. I wouldn't say stuffing a pcb is the most critical step. Nor testing of a stuffed pcb.

 

[delta76]

Yep. Look at the pic in the very first post of this thread, top left: "Made in Germany".

Not only that their official photo shows it clearly Made in Germany as well. Would be a marketing disaster to suddenly turn to Made in China
My washing machine (Bosch) has Made in Germany proudly printed in the front. Its matching dryer even though of same series has none of that and you need to open the door to see an almost hidden Made in Greek.

 

[Luvchampagne]

Not only that their official photo shows it clearly Made in Germany as well. Would be a marketing disaster to suddenly turn to Made in China
My washing machine (Bosch) has Made in Germany proudly printed in the front. Its matching dryer even though of same series has none of that and you need to open the door to see an almost hidden Made in Greek.

By the way I own 2 units of rme adi2 dac fs. My fave.

 

[respice finem]

My two ADI-2 DACs are also "made in Germany", obviously - but any manufacturer of electronics will have to include "international" (Asian) components, because "the West" once decided it's too expensive to manufacture them, etc. Some British manufacturers state like designed in the UK, manufactured in...
Another example: I have a "made in Poland" LG washing machine and a "made in Poland" TCL TV - they are assembled in Poland, yes, but...
What is more important for me, is the quality of the product itself, and of its support.

 

[Syvere]

My two ADI-2 DACs are also "made in Germany", obviously - but any manufacturer of electronics will have to include "international" (Asian) components, because "the West" once decided it's too expensive to manufacture them, etc. Some British manufacturers state like designed in the UK, manufactured in...
Another example: I have a "made in Poland" LG washing machine and a "made in Poland" TCL TV - they are assembled in Poland, yes, but...
What is more important for me, is the quality of the product itself, and of its support.

Yes, the chips and components may sometimes be manufactured in China, but they are usually pretty consistent quality. In final products though the most important thing for long term reliability is good soldering which in this case is done in Germany along with PCB design and manufacturing. The final PCB is essentially the whole device in terms of this DAC as it doesn't have any other meaningful components (apart from the LCD, knobs and the power supply. Everything else is soldered to the PCB.).

 

[g_t_r]

I have three RME ADI-2 DAC FS units. The oldest is a model "B" with AKM 4493 DAC. It's 5 years old and operates like it was taken fresh out of the box. I enjoyed it so much I purchased another 6 months after the first model "B" for another room. Three years later I bought a model "C" ADI-2 DAC FS with ESS chip. They all work great and look just as good as the day they arrived. I feed the remote a new battery each year and they offer flawless operation as a pre-amp, headphone amp and 768kHz USB DAC.

My Topping DAC's never offered the functionality or the capability of the RME Loudness features and ADI software. Best thing I ever did was replace each Topping with a RME ADI-2 DAC FS.

Do you hear any sound quality differences between AKM vs. Sabre version?

 

[delta76]

Do you hear any sound quality differences between AKM vs. Sabre version?

this has been discussed to death.
Short answer:
No
Long answer:
Nooooooooooooooooo

 

[Matias]

Do you hear any sound quality differences between AKM vs. Sabre version?

RME ADI-2 DAC FS - AKM Versus ESS Measurements (DAC, Preamp & Headamp)

RME ADI-2 DAC FS - AKM Versus ESS Measurements Hey Folks, Today's review is slightly different from usual, with not only one, but two products tested. Well, it is not exactly two "different" products either, strictly speaking... You don't get it? Alright. What about two different units, but...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[respice finem]

Do you hear any sound quality differences between AKM vs. Sabre version?

None at all. Disclaimer: I'm 58 years old. But even if I weren't treble challenged due to age - see posts above. No difference to be expected.

 

[Egbert]

Gotta disagree here. There’s no consumable parts in these and the caps in current age should last more than a few decades. The only issue may be driver support if Windows driver architecture changes for example. But of course electronics fail and along with capacitors, bad quality soldering is the next most common (if not the most common) cause these days.



This is of course a consideration but barring the dac breaking I have promised my wife for it to last the next 10 years so I’m choosing carefully. The RME may be a good choice in terms of resale value since I can get it now for 700€ (quite a bit under the MSRP) and may be able to sell it if need be without a loss. Of course the new models may change this. I’m currently running the EU Apple dongle which is woefully inadequate it feels like especially for the 560s.

Regarding the EQ I much rather have it on device so than on PC as that allow me to use USB switch to use the DAC (and EQ) simultaneously with two or more devices (at least Mac mini and my gaming PC).


Thanks!

I almost forgot but I could also get Mojo 2 for quite cheap. How does it compare objectively? I’m sure the build quality is good but the internal battery worries me a bit considering I have no need for a portable device. I use wireless headphones for that purpose.

It’s almost impossible to discern if there are any real audible differences between these devices since there’s so much made up jargon and make believe in reviews and on other popular forums. I also took a look at the K13 R2R but I’m not convinced in actually sounds more “analog”.

Choose Mojo 2 as:
You mainly listen with headphones
You want a compact, musical DAC
You care less about features
You don’t need XLR

Choose RME ADI-2 DAC FS as:
You control a hi-fi set and headphones
You want neutrality Banchmark and control
You want to correct your acoustics
You are looking for an all-in-one solution

 

[delta76]

Choose Mojo 2 as:
You mainly listen with headphones
You want a compact, musical DAC
You care less about features
You don’t need XLR

Choose RME ADI-2 DAC FS as:
You control a hi-fi set and headphones
You want neutrality Banchmark and control
You want to correct your acoustics
You are looking for an all-in-one solution

Mojo 2 is portable DAC + HP amp. It is much cheaper (at least in EU) than RME. Don't think it should be seen a competitor to RME in anyway.

 

[Egbert]

Mojo 2 is portable DAC + HP amp. It is much cheaper (at least in EU) than RME. Don't think it should be seen a competitor to RME in anyway.

Purely as a Dac and headphone amplifier, it is comparable to the RME. A matter of taste. However, the RME is more versatile and neutral than the mojo2. For my reason to purchase the RME. Lovely device.