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

AlfieFroud

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Are there any reasonably priced power amps like under £1000 that will accept up to 7V to get the full performance out of the RME?
 
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DomieMic65

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Since I got mine about 10 days ago I never thought I would put out of the chain my pre amp but finally I did.
I'm waiting a pair of attenuators -as RME suggests - in order to take advantage of the whole auto reference mode range, because without them I can barely go up to -18dBr and this is too loud already.
If an integrated has "power in" option I would try it.
 

Aerith Gainsborough

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Heh, when I use my Focal Clear, I typically listen at -36dBr in Low power mode. Even my DT-880 is content with ~-18dBr. No need for high power. :D
 

Mark Dirac

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No need for high power. :D
Me too.
I listen to my HD800S headphones at -30dB to -20dB on the volume control.
The headphone gain is so high that I plug my Audeze LCD-3 headphone through a 3.5mm adapter into the (low power/low gain) "IEM" socket, and still have to turn down the volume control to -20dB to -10dB. These are both big headphones, and not what you would call "sensitive".
I partly bought the unit for its "Extreme Power" feature, but have never enabled it, and cannot imagine when I would.
This DAC is crazily loud.

Fortunately, since the THD+N is so low, it doesn't matter to be using the (high-quality) volume control at unusually low levels.
 
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Mark Dirac

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I have an ATC amp (SIA-2) which is really a little too sensitive. So I am grateful that I can use the ADI-2 DAC's inbuilt pad, and I have the "reference" level set to -5dBu and "auto ref level" disabled.
I can barely go up to -18dBr and this is too loud already.
Domie - it sounds as though your situation is similar to mine. If you do this (level set to -5dBu and "auto ref level" disabled), how often do you find you want to turn up the volume above 0dB?
 

CTRLM

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I did try the oratory EQ suggested a few pages back but meeeh... people sure love their bathtub curves. WAY too much bass for me, guess my ears are incompatible with the Harman target. It sounds good if I halve the bass boost and leave the highs au-natural.

Agreed, the Oratory peak filters are fine with my Senn HD600 cans but IMO the low & high shelf filter settings are over the top. 1 to 2.5dB low shelf gain is fine.

In fairness though it does say to adjust the shelf filter gains to taste but I have a lot of trouble accepting that someone out there would actually like the 5.5dB bass boost.
 

ninetylol

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Agreed, the Oratory peak filters are fine with my Senn HD600 cans but IMO the low & high shelf filter settings are over the top. 1 to 2.5dB low shelf gain is fine.

In fairness though it does say to adjust the shelf filter gains to taste but I have a lot of trouble accepting that someone out there would actually like the 5.5dB bass boost.
oratory actually doenst like the Harman target himself, since he developed his own target curve with much less bass.
asdasd.jpg
 

DomieMic65

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I have an ATC amp (SIA-2) which is really a little too sensitive. So I am grateful that I can use the ADI-2 DAC's inbuilt pad, and I have the "reference" level set to -5dBu and "auto ref level" disabled.

Domie - it sounds as though your situation is similar to mine. If you do this (level set to -5dBu and "auto ref level" disabled), how often do you find you want to turn up the volume above 0dB?
See here https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?pid=161721#p161721 , https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=32263 and https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?pid=120442#p120442
Theoretically with your setting -and from what it's mentioned in RME forums- you loose a level of S/N ratio and may be DR. The ADI-2 works at it's best with the Auto Ref Level enabled.
Long story short I have ordered and waiting the Rothwell attenuators (-15dB). For now, until the attenuators arrive I'm using a friends DIY passive potentiometer (ALPS blue, at about 12 o'clock) for attenuation!
 

Matias

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CTRLM

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oratory actually doenst like the Harman target himself, since he developed his own target curve with much less bass.

Yes good point.....it's the Harman target that I don't like. All I need now is the RME ADI-2 FS filter settings for his target :)
 

Music1969

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Hi @MC_RME

I'm doing DSP (convolution) on macOS and using headphones output on ADI-2 FS DAC (V2).

Some of the DSP I am doing involves boosting some frequencies +10dB.

Should I reduce gain by 10dB in my software before outputting to ADI-2 DAC?

I never listen more than -30dB on ADI-2 DAC with headphones phone, but I don't know if ADI-2 DAC's volume is relevant or if it is very relevant?

The incoming signal could be higher than 0dBFS ? So that could a problem for ADI-2?

Thanks
 

JIW

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Yes good point.....it's the Harman target that I don't like. All I need now is the RME ADI-2 FS filter settings for his target :)

It's essentially the Harman target with a low shelf filter with frequency 105 Hz, gain of -5.5 dB and Q of 0.7. Thus, you could repurpose the low shelf in the ADI-2's Harman target EQ together with the first two peak filters to use the low shelf and first peak filter of oratory1990's Optimum HiFi target EQ and have another peak filter to apply elsewhere, i.e.
Code:
       G        F        Q        Type
B1    -3.0      150    0.5        Peak
B2    -2.0    1.30k    1.5        Peak
B3    -2.5    3.20k    2.5        Peak
B4    -1.0    5.80k    5.0        Peak
B5    free    free    free        free

B      6.0       25    0.7        Low shelf
T     -2.0    10.0k    0.7        High shelf

Alternatively, you can also ask oratory1990 on reddit.
 

Aerith Gainsborough

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but I have a lot of trouble accepting that someone out there would actually like the 5.5dB bass boost.
Ooh I'm not so sure about that one. People LOVE bass. Most people define the quality of a given system by it's bass capabilities.
Hence why beats are so popular.

It probably also depends on the music you listen to. Electronic music like Trance etc can't get enough subwoofer power. Not to mention movies LFE effects.
I was startled by the EQ to be honest, I would not have thought that my DT-880 would be capable of that kind of bass output. :D
 

MC_RME

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Hi @MC_RME

I'm doing DSP (convolution) on macOS and using headphones output on ADI-2 FS DAC (V2).

Some of the DSP I am doing involves boosting some frequencies +10dB.

Should I reduce gain by 10dB in my software before outputting to ADI-2 DAC?

I never listen more than -30dB on ADI-2 DAC with headphones phone, but I don't know if ADI-2 DAC's volume is relevant or if it is very relevant?

The incoming signal could be higher than 0dBFS ? So that could a problem for ADI-2?

Thanks

No. The EQ has 24 dB headroom. And you see all overs directly in the horizontal post level meters. Crank volume up to see how much reserve there is until the unit clips...
 

Music1969

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No. The EQ has 24 dB headroom. And you see all overs directly in the horizontal post level meters. Crank volume up to see how much reserve there is until the unit clips...

LOL inded I need to get to crazy levels until I see the OVR message on the level meters.

So I shall set my software at 0dB then (even with +10dB boosts at some frequencies), and not worry.

Loving ADI-2 FS DAC!

Also can't wait for multichannel version with same performance ! :p
 

SimpleTheater

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No. The EQ has 24 dB headroom. And you see all overs directly in the horizontal post level meters. Crank volume up to see how much reserve there is until the unit clips...
Just hoping to get your attention. Would love to see a RME HiFi PreAmp with EQ built in. This seems to be completely missing from HiFi. Needs to have RCA in, Balanced in, plus digital inputs.
Thanks!
 

ElNino

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No. The EQ has 24 dB headroom. And you see all overs directly in the horizontal post level meters. Crank volume up to see how much reserve there is until the unit clips...

I think you're misreading the question, MC_RME. The ADI-2 doesn't receive floating point values and cannot receive values above 0dBFS; if Music1969 is doing convolution with a 10dB boost on the host, he should reduce the volume by 10dB on the host.
 

Aerith Gainsborough

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