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

[MC_RME]

You confused someone at support. Please Google this effect. Example 'tingling sensation macbook pro'.

 

[reg19]

After 6 months of experimenting with this DAC, I achieved the best SQ in the following manner by using HQPlayer:

Convert PCM to DSD256 using the ASDM7EC modulator and poly-sinc-ext2 filter.

If your computer cannot handle that (I use a M1 Mac Mini, BTW), try PCM —> DSD256 using ASDM7 and poly-sinc-ext2.

 

[Aerith Gainsborough]

After 6 months of experimenting with this DAC, I achieved the best SQ in the following manner by using HQPlayer:

Convert PCM to DSD256 using the ASDM7EC modulator and poly-sinc-ext2 filter.

If your computer cannot handle that (I use a M1 Mac Mini, BTW), try PCM —> DSD256 using ASDM7 and poly-sinc-ext2.

Why would you intentionally degrade the signal (even if it is inaudible) by performing a completely unnecessary conversion?
This makes 0 sense and it most certainly will not sound better in any objective sense, as any blind test will reveal to you.

 

[reg19]

Why would you intentionally degrade the signal (even if it is inaudible) by performing a completely unnecessary conversion?
This makes 0 sense and it most certainly will not sound better in any objective sense, as any blind test will reveal to you.

My wife helped my kids and I conduct a DBT (the equipment rack is in the room next to the listening room). Using HQP in this manner vs no HQP.
We picked HQP method to provide the better sound quality each time.

Forgot to mention in the prior post: one has to enable DSD Direct mode in the ADI-2 before using HQP this way so it bypasses the DAC’s internal upsampling / filtering.

 

[Kotrmelec]

few days ago I received mine

RME ADI-2, thx to this forum I came to this one to extend my music listening experiences
I was about to get Topping A50S with D50S but RME won it
jumping from Spotify / iPhone with airpods pro to AQ Qobalt DAC with Marshall Monitor headphones + Tidal master was exciting, but…
adding totally new combination on my desk was a purely miracle: Macbook pro with Audirvana+ RME ADI-2 and Audio-technica ath-msr7b

For those who still just tempting -just go ahead and get one

 

[Bow_Wazoo]

And once again, for peace of mind...
Furman AC-210

 

[Mark Dirac]

An RME fan has produced this spectacularly helpful spreadsheet in an attempt to mitigate confusion with RME's naming of their "ADI-2" range:
RME forum

 

[AnalogSteph]

Speaking of which, @amirm would you mind editing the thread title here so that it reads "RME ADI-2 DAC FS Version 2 (DAC and Headphone Amp) Review" or similar?

I understand not wanting the redundant redundancy of having "DAC" in there twice, but there is bound to be confusion with the ADI-2 FS, which is a different unit altogether.

 

[BassoNova]

Hello All - My first post here after reading, and re-reading many posts on ASR for the last 10 month. So first of all thank you to all that educate and freely share all this great knowledge and to Amir for starting this forum. I just bought the ADI 2 DAC FS v2 via Amazon. First connection was to an 2011 macbook pro running Ubuntu -Clementine FLAC, no problems. Then I tried the Apple usb/lighting adapter and started streaming via USB - XLR out to power amp.

After 2 hours of use it shut itself down. No indication of anything else going on. In the middle of a tune it went out. All other devices still work fine. I unplugged - tried different outlets. Nada... bummer. I was just starting to learn the EQ menus thanks to their youtube videos. I'm a little bummed but maybe it's the Amazon dealers fault? IDK,....

Does anyone have an idea if that has happened to others previously and/or is there something I should try before sending it back? I did wait for another 10 minutes and then a half an hour before trying it again with no success. The unit doesn't power up.
I'm going to send this back and have a think if maybe there's an alternative. I know these things can happen, but it doesn't really help when all this emphasis on quality ends up in a brand new defective device landing in a customers hand.

 

[LTig]

Hello All - My first post here after reading, and re-reading many posts on ASR for the last 10 month. So first of all thank you to all that educate and freely share all this great knowledge and to Amir for starting this forum. I just bought the ADI 2 DAC FS v2 via Amazon. First connection was to an 2011 macbook pro running Ubuntu -Clementine FLAC, no problems. Then I tried the Apple usb/lighting adapter and started streaming via USB - XLR out to power amp.

After 2 hours of use it shut itself down. No indication of anything else going on. In the middle of a tune it went out. All other devices still work fine. I unplugged - tried different outlets. Nada... bummer. I was just starting to learn the EQ menus thanks to their youtube videos. I'm a little bummed but maybe it's the Amazon dealers fault? IDK,....

Does anyone have an idea if that has happened to others previously and/or is there something I should try before sending it back? I did wait for another 10 minutes and then a half an hour before trying it again with no success. The unit doesn't power up.
I'm going to send this back and have a think if maybe there's an alternative. I know these things can happen, but it doesn't really help when all this emphasis on quality ends up in a brand new defective device landing in a customers hand.

The "rule" says that electronic equipment either fails within the first 10 hours or after 10 years of usage. You cannot expect a company to test each unit for 10 hours before shipping so these things can (and do) happen.

Maybe @MC_RME can help to find the cause of your failed unit.

 

[BassoNova]

Them rules... I get that, still no fun when it's you. And thanks for the tip. I already did reach out to @MC_RME and tried his suggestions but so far no success. In the end no big deal. I propably still get another one since there's nothing out there that comes close to what they do and the few hours that I did get to enjoy it I have to conclude that it is a very fine piece of equipment. Maybe it's just the power supply that's bad and that would indeed be an easy fix.

 

[Deleted member 65]

Them rules... I get that, still no fun when it's you. And thanks for the tip. I already did reach out to @MC_RME and tried his suggestions but so far no success. In the end no big deal. I propably still get another one since there's nothing out there that comes close to what they do and the few hours that I did get to enjoy it I have to conclude that it is a very fine piece of equipment. Maybe it's just the power supply that's bad and that would indeed be an easy fix.

I’m sure you’re aware of this but just in case, I missed it on my RME initially:

”Socket for power connection. This socket supports locking type jacks as found on the included RME DC power supply. After inserting the connector carefully turn it by 90° so that it locks.”

 

[LTig]

I’m sure you’re aware of this but just in case, I missed it on my RME initially:

”Socket for power connection. This socket supports locking type jacks as found on the included RME DC power supply. After inserting the connector carefully turn it by 90° so that it locks.”

So did I. Wondered why the connector falls out so easily.

 

[BassoNova]

I‘m actually very familiar with those type of connectors from audio interfaces and MIDI devices, so that wasn’t the problem. RME support said it’s a faulty unit and to send it back. So I am and a new unit is on its way ...yeah....

 

[Pritaudio]

I am having some problems with the headphone out.
the preout to speakers is satisfactory audio quality.
and my Hifiman anandas and Beyerdynamic t90 from the adi2 dac are not.
i am not sure whether it is a setting or not. The equaliser is flat and treble/bass is zero.
im just wondering what hi power mode is, and if there is something called a balanced mode.
the sound on my headphones suffer from more distortion then I’m happy with.
can you provide some suggestions?

 

[Aerith Gainsborough]

Unless your unit is defective, there should be 0 audible distortions.
Can you describe the distortions?

High power is simply that: more power.
You need that for cans that are hard to drive/inefficient.
If LoPower mode gets loud enough for your needs, you do not need to activate it.

Your T90 is rated 102dB/W at 250Ω. I doubt you will need HiPower for that.

 

[Count Arthur]

I am having some problems with the headphone out.
the preout to speakers is satisfactory audio quality.
and my Hifiman anandas and Beyerdynamic t90 from the adi2 dac are not.
i am not sure whether it is a setting or not. The equaliser is flat and treble/bass is zero.
im just wondering what hi power mode is, and if there is something called a balanced mode.
the sound on my headphones suffer from more distortion then I’m happy with.
can you provide some suggestions?

Further t o the previous post, which headphone socket are you using, the 6.35mm "Phones" socket, or the 3.5mm "IEM" socket?

I have the the ADI-2 DAC settings at default: Hi-Power off and Auto Ref Level On

Phones: Hi-Power
OFF, ON. Default: OFF. Reference level for 0 dBFS is +7 dBu at the output. With Hi-Power on
reference level is 15 dB higher, +22 dBu.

IEM: No choice. The output IEM uses a fixed reference level of -3 dBu.

Auto Ref Level
ON, Off. Default: ON. See chapter 19.3 for details.

I don't listen particularly loud and with Auto Ref Level and my Sennheiser HD650s (104dB/W at 300Ω ) the amp would usually stay in low power mode and would only occassionally switch up to high power for some tracks/albums that are recorded particularly quietly.

 

[Jimbob54]

I am having some problems with the headphone out.
the preout to speakers is satisfactory audio quality.
and my Hifiman anandas and Beyerdynamic t90 from the adi2 dac are not.
i am not sure whether it is a setting or not. The equaliser is flat and treble/bass is zero.
im just wondering what hi power mode is, and if there is something called a balanced mode.
the sound on my headphones suffer from more distortion then I’m happy with.
can you provide some suggestions?

Unlikely to be in the RME but you never know. Loudness disabled? Using any DSP/ EQ before the DAC and it might not have the preamp low enough to prevent digital clipping?

High power mode is a gain setting but I leave mine set to auto and it will step up to high power automatically when I get past around -15db on the HP volume. Never heard of balanced mode

 

[Maiooo]

Hello,

I got the RME ADI-2 DAC FS last week and I've really been enjoying the unit paired with my Audeze LCD-2C.

I've been wanting to try the EQ but I'm a bit unsure on how to set it up. I've never used any EQ settings before and literally have no idea what to do
I've understood that Oratory 1990 is a good place to start but where someone linked specific settings for the RME from Oratory I cannot seem to find any such settings for the LCD-2C.

I was wondering if anyone would be kind enough to explain what numbers I need and how to input them into the DAC: https://www.dropbox.com/s/4341dbn3nrcou4k/Audeze LCD-2 Classic.pdf?dl=0

Thank you!!

 

[Jimbob54]

Page 22 of the manual for the how to input

You will be selecting the type of filter - low shelf (shelf per oratory) and peak

Each filter has a frequency (where on the scale you are affecting), a gain (how much you are turning that freq up or down) and a Q (the slope of the curve you add).

The problem you have is that one you linked is a 10 and EQ and some of the curves on it rely on more than one filter to create the shape and you only have 5 to play with.

So, either find an EQ with the right number of bands . Or , get as close as you can. I would suggest the key ones are the band 1 (the low shelf which will boost the bass) and a peak at 4060 hz, but not with the same values as Band 7. Try a 5 to 10 dB gain, Q of 1.0 and vary the gain to taste,

Likewise you can play with the gain on the low shelf from 0 to 5 dB. I use a similar EQ using +2dB on the low shelf and 5dB on the 4060 peak.

See what mix suits you best