Nope:For all I know there once was an older non FS version.
- RME ADI-2 DAC FS
- RME ADI-2 DAC FS v2
- RME ADI-2 Pro
- RME ADI-2 Pro FS
- RME ADI-2 Pro FS Anniversary
- RME ADI-2
- RME ADI-2 FS
Nope:For all I know there once was an older non FS version.
Based on measured performance there is not a human being capable of hearing a difference between the RME ADI-2 and a Topping D90 or anything else (regardless of price being above or below $1,500).So, is the RME ADI-2 DAC FS ver.2 still the king of the under 1500$ hill in 2020?
Probably not. Though, the headphone amp is more powerful, if you have high impedance or low sensitivity headphones that could be useful.--> Can I expect *any* audible improvement with the ADI-2 over e.g. the Dx3 pro? Would you call it crazy to buy a 1k€ DAC/AMP for headphones that cost less? (For the same amount of money i could also get e.g. an ugly Stax SRS-3100 set...)
Yes. It's very nice having a built in parametric. I don't really bother with the rest, but that alone is worth the cost of admission.--> Is all the DSP features really worth it?
I totally second @dfuller's posting #592.Itching so bad to get this, I had bought the Dx3 Pro for my AKG K812 and been quite happy since. It fit my budget back then. But there is nothing to play around with, however
Two questions before pulling the trigger:
1. I understand a good DAC itself is transparent (both Dx3 Pro and ADI-2 should be) but the AMP stage maybe not *so* much (warm, analytic, musicality, etc.). Myself, I cannot hear a difference between my Dx3 Pro, NX4DSD or the D50s+Creek IA. I can easily hear when e.g. the K812 are plugged directly in my onboard soundcard or directly into the iphone. I can also "mostly" hear the difference between 256kbit aac and tidal hifi tracks. But most of all i hear a huge difference between the K812 and all my cheaper headphones (jabra from work, bose IEM, wife's sony wh-1000xm3 sennheiser gaming headset, etc.). However I am very unsure about all that talk for different quality for higher end hifi-equipment.
--> Can I expect *any* audible improvement with the ADI-2 over e.g. the Dx3 pro? Would you call it crazy to buy a 1k€ DAC/AMP for headphones that cost less? (For the same amount of money i could also get e.g. an ugly Stax SRS-3100 set...)
2. Main reason why want to upgrade is the additional DSP features, of course. It's hard to judge tho, if this is worth it. I am coming from a point where i detested anything DSP or sound altering, because, in my experience, the only way is downwards regarding transparency/clarity. Now at the point to question this again, especially after reading all the positive reviews of the ADI-2
--> Is all the DSP features really worth it?
RME ADI-2 DAC is pretty much the perfect desktop solution for speakers and headphones. You would not be able to hear any appreciable differences with other audibly transparent DACs, but RME is much more than a DAC and you _will_ hear the differences that matter:
- Having EQ settings separate for headphone and line out means you can have your headphones speakers EQ'd to perfection.
- Loudness feature allows you to listen at low volumes later at night while preserving the fidelity of the sound. Dynamically boosts the lows and highs in a defined range making the transition between higher and lower volumes seamless, compensating for the quirks of human sound perception.
- Crossfeed for headphones. Took me awhile to appreciate the benefits of that but wow, what a difference it makes for certain songs. Have you had the stereo image of a song be so dynamic going left and right so aggressively that it makes your eyelids spin? Crossfeed makes headphones sound more like speakers by bringing certain frequencies to both ears and significantly reducing the eyelid spinning effect of these songs and overall creates a more enjoyable listening experience for headphones.
- Separate volume remembered for line out and headphones means you will not have your speakers explode in your face when you switch to them if you had your headphones at high volume as with many other preamps. Separate settings remembered and switched for everything else also - EQ, loudness, crossfeed, etc.
- Dedicated bass and treble controls with adjustable frequency and Q value. Want your earlobes vibrating or want "clarity" - just turn a knob.
Btw I learned to not be afraid of digital EQ - the massive improvement I can actually hear from it outweigh any theoretical drawbacks I've read. Not necessary for the perfect speaker in the perfect room from a perfect listening position, but who has that? Getting it as close to Harman target as possible using RME's 5 PEQ bands has been the biggest improvement in my sound quality so far, outweighing any speaker, amplifier or DAC upgrades I've done.
How about jitter. The d90 has a faster femtoclock. Is it possible there is a nonmeasurable difference in presentation. How about detail retrieval.Based on measured performance there is not a human being capable of hearing a difference between the RME ADI-2 and a Topping D90 or anything else (regardless of price being above or below $1,500).
We've gotten to the point, thanks @amirm , where you can now choose a product based on price point and features, knowing all the while that you're getting completely transparent sound.
For me, the RME ADI-2 DAC filled multiple issues, and is the reason I purchased one. My reasons (which may not matter squat to you) were:
1. Very powerful headphone amp (I have some hard to drive headphones)
2. Built EQ (this is actually the #1 reason) because no headphone is perfect. I can have five different EQ settings a click away depending on which headphone I'm using (and that's just five for the headphone output) (there are over 20 EQ presets). I've eq'd my desktop speakers as well.
There are a ton of other reasons, but those didn't matter to me much (e.g. I don't use balance outputs), but I'm certain it was a reason for someone else.
Good luck, you can't go wrong in the market today if you get something that meets your needs.
How about jitter.
Doesn't seem to work any better...The d90 has a faster femtoclock
I guess this lacks some question mark (?) So: No.Is it possible there is a nonmeasurable difference in presentation.
No, there's not.How about jitter. The d90 has a faster femtoclock. Is it possible there is a nonmeasurable difference in presentation. How about detail retrieval.