RME Babyface Pro FS Portable Interface Review

[Blumlein 88]

my babyface pro is connected to a singxer sa-1 then to focal speakers alpha 80.
when i put the 12v power adaptor (which i took from my little vaccuum machine} it took around 10-20 seconds to make a difference,
it upgraded gradually in 20 seconds time. the bass has 3 times the slam, the sound stage opened dramaticaly. the mids are alive,
it has to not be me the only one that is happening, i just informed my experience since i see people want to upgrade their babyface,
now i understand that the voltage is playing the biggest role in dacs

So we have Amir's measurements. I've done my own measurements. What would change in the transfer function to give bass 3 times the slam? What change brings the mids alive?

I don't know if I would bother, but if I did, you want to send me two or three tracks where this is totally obvious, and I'll do two versions of them. One on USB power, and one on external power, and then you tell me which is which when I send the files back to you?

OTOH, you have one of the machines, you could do some loopback measurements and see if anything changes. Any reason you couldn't do that? If the sound change is that dramatic there must be changes in the measured performance.

Do you get the same change if you connect the monitor outs of the Babyface directly to your Focals?

 

[alexcoitus]

yes imagine that the card is bus powered 5 watts, if you put 24watt in it its minimum 3 times the slam, also its much louder

 

[alexcoitus]

So we have Amir's measurements. I've done my own measurements. What would change in the transfer function to give bass 3 times the slam? What change brings the mids alive?

I don't know if I would bother, but if I did, you want to send me two or three tracks where this is totally obvious, and I'll do two versions of them. One on USB power, and one on external power, and then you tell me which is which when I send the files back to you?

OTOH, you have one of the machines, you could do some loopback measurements and see if anything changes. Any reason you couldn't do that? If the sound change is that dramatic there must be changes in the measured performance.

Do you get the same change if you connect the monitor outs of the Babyface directly to your Focals?

havent checked it without the singxer but i believe it will be punchier as it is when i use my lcd-2 headphones

 

[Blumlein 88]

yes imagine that the card is bus powered 5 watts, if you put 24watt in it its minimum 3 times the slam, also its much louder

To be blunt you could learn more about how such things work. The power of the signal going to the Singer and from the Singer to the Focals is less than 1/100th of a watt. Supply power doesn't translate in that use into more at the output. Loudness wouldn't either unless the voltage out to the speaker is greater. The voltage from the Babyface on USB power is already enough to clip the Singer.

 

[alexcoitus]

please just put another 24 watts (12v 2 amp) power adaptor as RME suggests and see the results. in my experience i thought i bought a new dac of 2000 euros, have no reason to argue

 

[Blumlein 88]

please just put another 24 watts (12v 2 amp) power adaptor as RME suggests and see the results. in my experience i thought i bought a new dac of 2000 euros, have no reason to argue

I have a 36 watt Belker 12 volt adapter which works for the Babyface. It didn't give me 4 times the bass slam.

RME says the BabyFace Pro FS will typically use 3.7 watts and a max of 5.4 watts on USB or 12 volt supply.

 

[alexcoitus]

careful not to burn the dac, rme says maximum 12v 2 amp 24 watts

 

[Blumlein 88]

careful not to burn the dac, rme says maximum 12v 2 amp 24 watts

If you have the proper voltage it doesn't mean maximum wattage will be pumped into the device. The adapter I have is capable of more current, and therefore more power than required. As long as it is 12 volts however it is safe. If the device is given 12 volts it will only draw the power it requires not more. As I already posted, the Babyface won't use more than 5.4 watts and the specifications from RME indicate that. The fellow at RME has indicated on RME forums that adapters of even more wattage are fine if the voltage is correct.

 

[alexcoitus]

it says 12 volt 313mA ITS THE SAME, IF YOU PUT 12 VOLTS 2 AMP WHICH IS THE MAXIMUM ITS GONNA GIVE YOU 4 TIMES THE POWER, SORRY NOT ONLY 4 BUT MORE, IT TRANSFORMS TO A 30WATT DAC WHICH NOBODY TELLS YOU , GUESS WHY

 

[Blumlein 88]

it says 12 volt 313mA ITS THE SAME, IF YOU PUT 12 VOLTS 2 AMP WHICH IS THE MAXIMUM ITS GONNA GIVE YOU 4 TIMES THE POWER, SORRY NOT ONLY 4 BUT MORE

With respect you have an incorrect idea of how power supplies work.

Let us say you have a 12 volt supply capable of more than 1000 watts. Say a car battery. Let us say you connect it across a 1 ohm resistor.

Here is what happens:
12 volts divided by 1 ohm equals 12 amps of current.
12 volts times 12 amps of current equals 144 watts of power. The battery can put out much more, but the resistance limits the amount.

Now imagine we switch to 20 ohms.
12 volts divided by 20 ohms equals .6 amps of current.
12 volts times .6 amps of current equals 7.2 watts of power.

MC who runs RME has said an adapter with max output of 7.2 watt is enough. Yes, the one RME sells is 12 volts at 2 amps or 24 watt max, but they use that adapter with several different pieces of gear. I believe he has even said you could run one off of a car battery. The owner's manual says you can run it off of USB battery packs of 9-12 volts.

A piece of gear presents a certain resistive load to the power supply. If the voltage is sufficient and the current required doesn't exceed the supply it draws what it needs, not the most the power supply can give it.

That is also why the idea a 24 watt supply will cause the Babyface to have a big jump in output bass slam or otherwise does not correspond with how these sorts of things work.

 

[alexcoitus]

also you dont have to buy rme's power supply , with 12v 2amp most household electric devises work, it costs 3euros if you dont find somewhere in your room

 

[memopro]

if you want to compare you just plug and unplug the adaptor, its that easy

I did it - no difference here.

Babyface Pro FS is connected via USB to a computer, and I have Yamaha HS8 connected to the main outputs, that's it.

 

[alexcoitus]

I did it - no difference here.

Babyface Pro FS is connected via USB to a computer, and I have Yamaha HS8 connected to the main outputs, that's it.

let it 30 seconds to power up the dac, dont pull out the usb. give 30 seconds and you ll hear gradually the dynamics, ill try to upload a video myself to see

 

[Blumlein 88]

let it 30 seconds to power up the dac, dont pull out the usb. give 30 seconds and you ll hear gradually the dynamics, ill try to upload a video myself to see

What do you think is happening in that 30 seconds?

 

[memopro]

let it 30 seconds to power up the dac, dont pull out the usb. give 30 seconds and you ll hear gradually the dynamics, ill try to upload a video myself to see

You may have it, but I don't.
I remove the USB cable to prove that even without it the BF receives current from the adapter, i.e. the adapter is turned on.
Here is a video with a 30 second wait.

Here is the adapter.

 

[alexcoitus]

You may have it, but I don't.
I remove the USB cable to prove that even without it the BF receives current from the adapter, i.e. the adapter is turned on.
Here is a video with a 30 second wait.

Here is the adapter.

thats the right adaptor yes, the sound before you atach the cable its thinner, attach the cable and let it at least 10 second so electricity starts floating inside the dac, its not like the lamp that you switch on and off, its like electricity like water flowing inside the card, trying to upload a video myself for you to listen

 

[alexcoitus]

put your video in 15 seconds then put it in 1 minute, is the sound fuller or not?
let the adaptor for a while in the card

 

[alexcoitus]

please put your headphones to listen more carefully when you attach and detach the cables, because its difficult to do it with the smartphone

 

[memopro]

You said 30 seconds, I made a 30 second clip and uploaded it, now you say 1 minute?!
I wait 5 minutes and still nothing changes.
There is something wrong with your case.

 

[memopro]

please put your headphones to listen more carefully when you attach and detach the cables, because its difficult to do it with the smartphone

You said it was like night and day.
Did you say that the bass increases 3 times?
Now you say I should listen carefully.

Ок, tried with headphones and no difference, nothing changes for me.