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

Blumlein 88

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RME is first class all the way.

Isn't it time since we have several units reaching SINAD of 115 or better to have another color in the chart for all of those reaching 115 or better results? Just a suggestion.

Also looking forward to the test of the ADC version.
 

kn0ppers

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You are welcome. I have the one with ADC as well to test. :)

Very nice, I was hoping for that.

About the connectors: I must say the output configuration that Matrix Audio or ifi (on the iCan Pro) use with 2 Neutrik 3-Pin-XLR/6,3mm Combojacks and one 4-Pin XLR is quite nice. But it takes up lots of space.
 

jae

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Very nice, I was hoping for that.

About the connectors: I must say the output configuration that Matrix Audio or ifi (on the iCan Pro) use with 2 Neutrik 3-Pin-XLR/6,3mm Combojacks and one 4-Pin XLR is quite nice. But it takes up lots of space.

I love that configuration as well. I would really love to see a fully internal power supply in a product of this calibre, which would enlarge the enclosure a bit and allow for the extra chassis real estate for extra inputs or outputs. I'm assuming this would ever happen since RME seemingly has other products of this size so they can stack or be put side-by-side cleanly in half rack width configuration.
 

VintageFlanker

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The ONLY people this product lets down is...audiophiles
Beg to differ. The ADI-2 DAC became extremely popular also in the audiophile world. There's still some sayin it sounds "sterille", or maybe that is their definition of transparency...:p
 
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Music1969

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The ONLY people this product lets down is...audiophiles.

Not entirely true.

For someone that streams music over the network, the Roon Ready and DLNA/UPnP streaming DAC+Headamps from Matrix are quite nice.

Just one box driving headphones... and the server can be on the other side of the house. Of course box count doesn't matter to everyone.

Matrix Element i is a little cheaper and performance just as good (in practical sense) and with more features.
 

jae

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Beg to differ. The ADI-2 DAC became extremely popular also in the audiophile world. There's still some sayin it sounds "sterille", or maybe that is their definition of transpenrency...:p

One great advantage to the RME products are that they are ubiquitous. I can go into a local music/studio supply store and find them, if that even matters in this day and age with online ordering. In some countries where it may be expensive to import less popular brands they will probably still have RME in their country or local shops. The ubiquity also makes warranty or returns easy, versus buying something from China and having to deal with mailing products back and waiting for weeks if something goes wrong. But of course most people would prefer to buy a product for features and usability they can use on a daily basis rather than for warranty they may ever claim or a small chance of defect. It is also getting a lot easier and cheaper to buy the chinese products with more international retailers showing interest in them.


Not entirely true.
For someone that streams music over the network, the Roon Ready and DLNA/UPnP streaming DAC+Headamps from Matrix are quite nice.
Just one box driving headphones... and the server can be on the other side of the house. Of course box count doesn't matter to everyone.
Matrix Element i is a little cheaper and performance just as good (in practical sense) and with more features.

Right, I can see maybe the more professional crowd- those in studios or in front of the computer working with music all the time prefering with RME (and its utilitarian aesthetic) due to its reputation, reliability, and availability from suppliers... but ironically I feel those types of people would be the ones using their own DSP solutions from their source machine instead of on the device, and those features along with the screen are the main differentiators for the RME product. To the average consumer, casual or audiophile, I think stuff like wireless, streaming, app compatibiity, and a 'hifi look' is a more compelling sell assuming the measurements are on point.
 
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amirm

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@amirm Just to confirm, was the 50 mV SNR test done with the IEM port and not the 1/4-inch output? It's mostly academic, but the IEM output should have lower noise than what the AP can measure.
Correct.
 

CopperFox

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How did/would the SMSL M500 perform at full XLR output? If I remember correctly it could also output nearly 7V but was tested at 4.3V.
 

digititus

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Great work from RME. Seems like they nailed this product. Would love one of these on the office desk.
 

McFly

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Beg to differ. The ADI-2 DAC became extremely popular also in the audiophile world. There's still some sayin it sounds "sterille", or maybe that is their definition of transpenrency...:p

Kind of what I was getting at, when something is so transparent and revealing it’s no longer nice and becomes boring and sterile. Especially when measurements are involved. I should know I own two of these. DAC perfection imo.
 

Rja4000

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I also heard the PRO specs a bit worse than the DAC as far as the dac performance goes
Not that I can see.
I use the ADI-2 Pro fs for measurements.
I don't have the DAC to compare to but, given the measurements, performance look pretty much the same. Or even better, if you use the phone balanced output from the Pro version.
 

bidn

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Congratulations, RME!
Great to see how the use of AK4493 improved the performance over the use of AK4490.
It would be fantastic if they would make a version with a top chip like the AK4499, not only for ultimate performance, but also because its multichannels capabilities would allow many possibilities such as multiple parallel uses of front and back outputs.

That is true, but unfortunately it is not 4-pin XLR, I would rather just use SE in that case since the whole idea was to be able to use my existing 4-pin cables as-is without an adapter. It is not really a 'necessary' thing and really doesn't provide much benefit in a properly designed amplifier, but presumably this product was made for the audiophile market (as opposed to the PRO which is the professional market?), so I don't see why they wouldn't include a commonly desired feature/termination found in high-end audiophile products when virtually all similar products over $300 do.

Hi jae, I agree with you re. a XLR-4 output, as the cables of my headphones are often terminated with this kind of connection. I have a 22xTRS --> XLR-4 adapter for my ADI 2 Pro, but I find it cumbersome to use. Also when the RME amp clips (it happened so often when I would let it directly drive my HE6se..., but sometimes even with the Arya; luckily I now have the HPA4 amp), it sets back to a single TRS output, and the sound becomes mono...
A front XLR-4 output would mean a bigger form factor, but actually I would love a bigger screen (the present one is packed with information, but that info is so tiny, sometimes a hassle to read for me, esp. when compared with that of the HPA4) which would also be a touchscreeen (the button combinations are not the simplest way of navigating, so much time spent with the online manual...), i.e. a screen like that of the HPA4. (A bigger format would also allow to integrate a power supply). The price however would be much higher.

My dream RME would upgrade the present ADI 2 [PRO] FS with:
one or two AK4499, a front balanced XLR-4 output, a front balanced 2,5 mm IEM output, a larger touchscreen like that of the HPA4, a more powerful amp... but would be much more expensive...

All the best to all,
bidn
 

moosa_hosseini

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Hey Amir, thank you for this and all your reviews,
@amirm
I came up with a question. RME dac exploits digital volume control, so at full output, it shows its best performance and as volume goes down the performance degrades. the question is: is it better to use a separate preamp (like schitt freya) between RME dac and power amp to retain the best performance?
 

Rja4000

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Hey Amir, thank you for this and all your reviews,
@amirm
I came up with a question. RME dac exploits digital volume control, so at full output, it shows its best performance and as volume goes down the performance degrades. the question is: is it better to use a separate preamp (like schitt freya) between RME dac and power amp to retain the best performance?
One of the good things with the RME is that it has several output gains you can choose from.
I've published measurements on that here some time ago. Basically, unless you use a VERY performant preamp, you won't measure much difference.
 
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