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

[Matias]

Dumb question maybe. I’ve got an ADI 2 and it’s great. The PEQ is a lifesaver to knock down the larger room modes.

I switched some of my gear and setups around, and find myself with the ADI going by XLR to a power amp and by RCA to powered subs. ADI is handling volume control, but I also now have an unused Benchmark HPA4. Any point in inserting it in the chain as the preamp and volume control? I’d lose the loudness feature, but could live with that. I don’t do too much very quiet listening.

No headphone listening happening, for now at least. So does the HPA4 get me any potential benefit? Seems a little silly to add an extra box if it doesn’t add anything. Also seems sad to see the HPA4 sit in a box in a closet.

I would sell the HPA4 and invest in better speakers if necessary.

 

[Rja4000]

Dumb question maybe. I’ve got an ADI 2 and it’s great. The PEQ is a lifesaver to knock down the larger room modes.

I switched some of my gear and setups around, and find myself with the ADI going by XLR to a power amp and by RCA to powered subs. ADI is handling volume control, but I also now have an unused Benchmark HPA4. Any point in inserting it in the chain as the preamp and volume control? I’d lose the loudness feature, but could live with that. I don’t do too much very quiet listening.

No headphone listening happening, for now at least. So does the HPA4 get me any potential benefit? Seems a little silly to add an extra box if it doesn’t add anything. Also seems sad to see the HPA4 sit in a box in a closet.

Sale the HPA4

 

[jasoncd]

I would sell the HPA4 and invest in better speakers if necessary.

Sale the HPA4

I put the HPA4 in the chain to test it out. Those relays are pretty cool, but no noticeable benefit I could find and it does add desk space, generates some decent heat, etc. Think you are both right.

Good job to RME. Would love a version with more channels and more bands in the PEQ some day.

 

[david.aj.silva]

I put the HPA4 in the chain to test it out. Those relays are pretty cool, but no noticeable benefit I could find and it does add desk space, generates some decent heat, etc. Think you are both right.

Good job to RME. Would love a version with more channels and more bands in the PEQ some day.

Hi Jason
With the current firmware the RME treble and bass controls can be used as 2 additional peq bands, now a 7 band peq.

 

[Rja4000]

Would love a version with more channels

RME ADI-2 Pro fs R has 4 DAC channels (+2 ADC channels)

 

[Aerith Gainsborough]

Agreed, useful... but you made an already addictive real-time frequency graph and level meters even more beautiful with the new firmware optional colours. It's my permanent screen settings and I can hardly depart from it.

So I'm not alone in my Spectral Analyzer staring addiction. :'D
Really like the new colors, can now choose red for my Clear Professional preset.

 

[Matias]

FYI

RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE

More power and 4.4 mm Pentacon, yay! https://www.gearnews.com/superbooth-2022-new-rme-adi-2-4-pro-se-dac-interface-spotted/

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[HuubFranssen]

As 68 year audiophile there is not much time left to find the ultimate mid-priced hifi set. My pension is not ultimate too, so I became a fan of ASR. I believe in measurements before listening, not listening regardless of measurements. And everything tested here is quite cheap in high end terms. Did you notice the word ‘listening’?

I’m convinced that a good dac is the start of a decent system so I had a lot of these before I (influenced by ASR) started to experiment with Toppings: D10, D50 and in the end the D90se. All measuring well and, according to the majority here, you only pay more for the extra features. Yeah, and then the D90se is much too expensive, but according to my ears the D90se was the only Topping dac with a convincing sound. But after 6 months I got bored and sold it to buy a NAD C658, hoping that the dsp from Dirac could help me further. The D90se is considered to be great, the C658 is not. But still I liked the overall sound of the C658 more, although I missed the details of the Topping dacs. After a lot of experimenting Dirac did not deliver and, as usual, I desperately decided to sell everything and start all over by getting decent pro audio stuff. I ran against a set of Dynaudio BM15a and I think I will never need another speaker again, they are that good.

Next victim was the NAD C658, a cheap, nice sounding very flexible tool but, as pointed, not the best dac around. I needed a replacement that would be flexible like the NAD, with a nice natural sound like the NAD, with the quality of the D90se. My eyes fell at the RME ADI-2 and next day he replaced the NAD C658 in my hifi-rack. I now can sell the hifi-rack too.

Well, I could not believe my ears. What a huge, natural, detailed, powerful, convincing sound! Completely problem-free, every track is a joy to listen. In my 20 years of audiophilia nervosa I never had a sound this good.

I knew the RME is tested here and I know that Amir uses the RME ADI-2 himself. Now I have a question. Amir, come on man, for me it is clear that the RME has a much nicer sound than the Topping D90se. Or at least it sounds different. Don’t you hear that too?

Or do I have to blind test it first, have to level the output, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera?

 

[Grotti]

As 68 year audiophile there is not much time left to find the ultimate mid-priced hifi set. My pension is not ultimate too, so I became a fan of ASR. I believe in measurements before listening, not listening regardless of measurements. And everything tested here is quite cheap in high end terms. Did you notice the word ‘listening’?

I’m convinced that a good dac is the start of a decent system so I had a lot of these before I (influenced by ASR) started to experiment with Toppings: D10, D50 and in the end the D90se. All measuring well and, according to the majority here, you only pay more for the extra features. Yeah, and then the D90se is much too expensive, but according to my ears the D90se was the only Topping dac with a convincing sound. But after 6 months I got bored and sold it to buy a NAD C658, hoping that the dsp from Dirac could help me further. The D90se is considered to be great, the C658 is not. But still I liked the overall sound of the C658 more, although I missed the details of the Topping dacs. After a lot of experimenting Dirac did not deliver and, as usual, I desperately decided to sell everything and start all over by getting decent pro audio stuff. I ran against a set of Dynaudio BM15a and I think I will never need another speaker again, they are that good.

Next victim was the NAD C658, a cheap, nice sounding very flexible tool but, as pointed, not the best dac around. I needed a replacement that would be flexible like the NAD, with a nice natural sound like the NAD, with the quality of the D90se. My eyes fell at the RME ADI-2 and next day he replaced the NAD C658 in my hifi-rack. I now can sell the hifi-rack too.

Well, I could not believe my ears. What a huge, natural, detailed, powerful, convincing sound! Completely problem-free, every track is a joy to listen. In my 20 years of audiophilia nervosa I never had a sound this good.

I knew the RME is tested here and I know that Amir uses the RME ADI-2 himself. Now I have a question. Amir, come on man, for me it is clear that the RME has a much nicer sound than the Topping D90se. Or at least it sounds different. Don’t you hear that too?

Or do I have to blind test it first, have to level the output, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera?

It is the etcetera, I am afraid

 

[Aerith Gainsborough]

I knew the RME is tested here and I know that Amir uses the RME ADI-2 himself. Now I have a question. Amir, come on man, for me it is clear that the RME has a much nicer sound than the Topping D90se. Or at least it sounds different. Don’t you hear that too?

Of course the RME has a much better sound than other DACs that measure equally audibly transparent.

Spoiler

Once you engage the DSP section.

 

[HuubFranssen]

It is the etcetera, I am afraid

Haha I know, but I’m asking for a subjective answer.

 

[Grotti]

Haha I know, but I’m asking for a subjective answer.

Wrong forum, I suppose. I am strongly biased owning a ADI 2 pro fs myself, but I tested it against the analog output of my Volumio Primo Hifi and they sounded equally transparent to me....

 

[HuubFranssen]

Wrong forum, I suppose. I am strongly biased owning a ADI 2 pro fs myself, but I tested it against the analog output of my Volumio Primo Hifi and they sounded equally transparent to me....

Why the ‘wrong forum’? I fully accept the measurement-oriented approach here. My only problem is the gap that exists somewhere between knowing that it’s properly developed and the acceptance in your head that it’s good enough to stop searching. Many people that DO accept measurements still keep on searching. At the other side, a lot of people are convinced the Topping D10 is good enough and really stop searching.

Now my question is: does Amir really believe that the Topping D90se sounds exactly the same as the RME ADI-2? The answer would be very interesting to me.

 

[Aerith Gainsborough]

My only problem is the gap that exists somewhere between knowing that it’s properly developed and the acceptance in your head that it’s good enough to stop searching.

To give you a serious answer, that is not entirely unrelated to my previous post:
The DSP in the RME is worth it to me and makes it a superior unit. I enjoy both, Loudness EQ (more bass/treble at low volume according to Fletcher Munson hearing curve) as well as the parametric Equalizer that tames my DT-880 wonderfully.

Yes, it IS easy to reach a point where you can stop searching in this day and age. Especially when we are talking electronic components.
That is a good thing because it frees resources to tend to the real weak links.

If you are still unsatisfied, I recommend looking at the elephants in the room and the room said elephants are in:
Your room (treatment, corrective DSP) and Transducers, be it speakers or headphones.
Here, you will find audible and measurable differences often worth additional expenses.

How far to go? That entirely depends on the quality of your hearing. To that end, an honest self assessment would be the first order of business.

E.g.: I can't hear above 13KHz. So there is 0 reason for me to fuss about performance in that area.
So why spend big on a speaker that has super duper 20KHz performance?

 

[Rednaxela]

Wrong forum, I suppose.

Nah. Just the wrong thread.

Master Thread: Are measurements Everything or Nothing?

Seems like so many review threads get challenged with: 1. Measurements are not everything. 2. You all never listen. 3. I trust my ears, not graphs. 4. I don't listen to graphs. I listen to music. 5. You all must not listen to music at all. 6. Why don't you all buy the best SINAD gear? 7...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[amper42]

Why the ‘wrong forum’? I fully accept the measurement-oriented approach here. My only problem is the gap that exists somewhere between knowing that it’s properly developed and the acceptance in your head that it’s good enough to stop searching. Many people that DO accept measurements still keep on searching. At the other side, a lot of people are convinced the Topping D10 is good enough and really stop searching.

Now my question is: does Amir really believe that the Topping D90se sounds exactly the same as the RME ADI-2? The answer would be very interesting to me.

I find the RME ADI-2 DAC FS sounds much better to my ears than my Topping D90SE DAC even with RME DSP turned off. The difference was pretty clear to me as I AB'ed both units with the Buckeye NC502MP and BMR Monitors. However, that's simply my subjective taste and may not be of value to others. They will need their own listening test to confirm/disagree.

You can't expect most on ASR to embrace subjective opinion as gospel. Taste is personal. At some point, each of us has to listen to our gear and decide what we want to leave connected and what goes back in the box.

 

[HuubFranssen]

I find the RME ADI-2 DAC FS sounds much better to my ears than my Topping D90SE DAC even with RME DSP turned off. The difference was pretty clear to me as I AB'ed both units with the Buckeye NC502MP and BMR Monitors. However, that's simply my subjective taste and may not be of value to others. They will need their own listening test to confirm/disagree.

You can't expect most on ASR to embrace subjective opinion as gospel. Taste is personal. At some point, each of us has to listen to our gear and decide what we want to leave connected and what goes back in the box.

Yeah, what is the gospel… In my opinion the difference in sound between D90se and RME is so clear that this should not be kept in ‘the box’. Companies like Topping make use of ASR by creating good-measuring things without giving the consumer the best sound. At least it should be made clear that there is a gap between perfect measurements and a perfect sound. Then everybody knows that there is some extra work to be done.

 

[HansHolland]

I already wrote it on another topic on this forum:
I think that we don't know/do all the measurements that explain what we can hear.

And:
I also think that all bad measuring devices are not good.

But:
There are still sonic differences between the good measuring devices that cannot be explained by the measurements that we do now.

The question is:
What kind of measurements are needed to explain those sonic differences? That is also science!

 

[Aerith Gainsborough]

In my opinion the difference in sound between D90se and RME is so clear that this should not be kept in ‘the box’.

Unless you do a volume matched double blind test, there are a million factors that can be the reason for the perceived differences and none of them have anything to do with the technology of the devices involved.

The most simple of them would be: the RME is set to a higher SPL.

 

[storing]

I already wrote it on another topic on this forum:
I think that we don't know/do all the measurements that explain what we can hear.

And:
I also think that all bad measuring devices are not good.

But:
There are still sonic differences between the good measuring devices that cannot be explained by the measurements that we do now.

The question is:
What kind of measurements are needed to explain those sonic differences? That is also science!

Nah. Just the wrong thread.

Master Thread: Are measurements Everything or Nothing?

Seems like so many review threads get challenged with: 1. Measurements are not everything. 2. You all never listen. 3. I trust my ears, not graphs. 4. I don't listen to graphs. I listen to music. 5. You all must not listen to music at all. 6. Why don't you all buy the best SINAD gear? 7...

www.audiosciencereview.com

And the takeaway seems to be: many claims of sonic differences yet close to zero evidence erog measurements seem fairly sufficient (AFAIK. Didn't read everything, might be bias from my side)