Will a new model of RME FS 2 DAC be released soon?

[Mitch]

Has anyone heard if a new model of the RME FS 2 DAC will be released soon?

 

[unpluggged]

What's wrong with the current one?

 

[Music1969]

Has anyone heard if a new model of the RME FS 2 DAC will be released soon?

They only just added to the ADI-2 family - ADI-2/4 Pro SE

I think an SE DAC could be next (balanced headamp output and maybe back to AKM chip) but not sure if 'soon'.

 

[charleski]

What's wrong with the current one?

It's spring! Time to clear out your winter wardrobe and buy a lot of whole new outfits!
How can RME expect to make money if they just keep selling the same reliable well-performing product?

...

 

[Atanasi]

I think an SE DAC could be next (balanced headamp output and maybe back to AKM chip) but not sure if 'soon'.

Last time this was asked, RME answered they don’t have plans to go back to AKM for the DAC.

 

[Music1969]

Last time this was asked, RME answered they don’t have plans to go back to AKM for the DAC.

Mmmm depends when it was asked.

Maybe that was before AKM came back like rise of a phoenix.

 

[bloodshoteyed]

from my experience, they couldn't care less about FOMO but are more into longevity of products and consistent support through the life cycle (which you for sure can't guarantee with a hyper production like the chinese do....)

 

[Music1969]

from my experience, they couldn't care less about FOMO

RME making a linear PSU is literally trying to please those with FOMO

If people are paying and it makes RME more $, good on them

 

[Sokel]

RME making a linear PSU is literally trying to please those with FOMO

If people are paying and it makes RME more $, good on them

Agree but to a certain point.
In terms of durability and longevity a linear one will probably last for decades.

 

[Mitch]

from my experience, they couldn't care less about FOMO but are more into longevity of products and consistent support through the life cycle (which you for sure can't guarantee with a hyper production like the chinese do....)

Sorry to ask, but what does FOMO stand for please?

 

[Elitzur–Vaidman]

FOMO

Fear Of Missing Out

 

[Rednaxela]

What's wrong with the current one?

It could use five more PEQ bands and leave out its center frequency limitations. I think I’d pay a premium for it. FWIW.

 

[mSpot]

What's wrong with the current one?

Doesn't have MQA

 

[Gradius]

Doesn't have MQA

I hope that was sarcasm.

 

[Snoopy]

I hope that was sarcasm.

Well there are a few CDs now that are MQA-CDs sourced from new masters and as far as I'm aware only released as MQA-UHQCD in Japan.

Sure you can play them as Redbook CD and do the first unfold to 88.2khz in roon but a MQA-CD certified DAC like the smsl SU-10 is starting to look more interesting to me to be honest.

I'm subscribed to tidal (hifi-tier) and I'm not a MQA supporter but in cases like this I would just use it in the end.


Here is part of the description:
(Released in 1976 / 2018 master) ●Converted to 352.8kHz/24bit from the latest 2018 DSD master based on the original analog tape (not yet available in high-resolution format) ●Green color label coated ●Slim case obi *The Hi-Res CD Masterpiece Series is available on all The Hi-Res CD Masterpieces Series is a high-quality CD (UHQCD) that can be played on all CD players (44.1kHz/16bit).

 

[Atanasi]

It could use five more PEQ bands and leave out its center frequency limitations. I think I’d pay a premium for it. FWIW.

There are also features like USB backup and restore, which would be useful for a device with this many settings. I don't think 2/4 PRO has that, either.

 

[charleski]

there are a few CDs now that are MQA-CDs sourced from new masters

MQA-CD is even more of a scam than the 24-bit MQA files from Tidal.
MQA works by stealing a few of the LSBs in the signal for lossy encoding of ultrasonic components. If your file is 24 bits then you can afford to lose these as giving up 4 bits to MQA still leaves you with 120dB of dynamic range which is more than enough, even factoring in a load of headroom for DSP. But CDs will only ever be 16bits. The 96dB of DR that provides is just fine, even after scaling down for DSP. But robbing just a couple of bits from that leaves you with only 84dB, which is pretty marginal (though it's still quite possible that you won't notice the raised noise floor).

24bit MQA is snake oil, but at least it doesn't make the audible signal worse. This is not true for MQA-CD.

 

[Snoopy]

MQA-CD is even more of a scam than the 24-bit MQA files from Tidal.
MQA works by stealing a few of the LSBs in the signal for lossy encoding of ultrasonic components. If your file is 24 bits then you can afford to lose these as giving up 4 bits to MQA still leaves you with 120dB of dynamic range which is more than enough, even factoring in a load of headroom for DSP. But CDs will only ever be 16bits. The 96dB of DR that provides is just fine, even after scaling down for DSP. But robbing just a couple of bits from that leaves you with only 84dB, which is pretty marginal (though it's still quite possible that you won't notice the raised noise floor).

24bit MQA is snake oil, but at least it doesn't make the audible signal worse. This is not true for MQA-CD.

Yeah I'm aware of that. But for jazz , classic and some other audiophile recordings it's a thing now especially in Japan.

They have SACDs and hi-res pcm files but end up releasing some mqa CD with 12-15 bits.

So far these releases usually had SACD , Redbook CD or Blu-ray audio releases simultaneously but there is stuff showing up more often that gets only released on MQA-CD.

Really bad situation especially if the older releases are OOP, only available on expensive vinyl or not at all

 

[J Ratcliffe]

Mmmm depends when it was asked.

Maybe that was before AKM came back like rise of a phoenix.

I asked them last week. They have no plans.

 

[HappyMetalGuy]

MQA-CD is even more of a scam than the 24-bit MQA files from Tidal.
MQA works by stealing a few of the LSBs in the signal for lossy encoding of ultrasonic components. If your file is 24 bits then you can afford to lose these as giving up 4 bits to MQA still leaves you with 120dB of dynamic range which is more than enough, even factoring in a load of headroom for DSP. But CDs will only ever be 16bits. The 96dB of DR that provides is just fine, even after scaling down for DSP. But robbing just a couple of bits from that leaves you with only 84dB, which is pretty marginal (though it's still quite possible that you won't notice the raised noise floor).

24bit MQA is snake oil, but at least it doesn't make the audible signal worse. This is not true for MQA-CD.

I think the audio signal is possibly degraded as it uses more hardware to compress and decompress? Some time ago I used musicscope with some mqa files and Qobuz Hi-res, and at least from the 10 files (songs) I've tested, my original CD flac files were better than both Qobuz and Tidal files, Tidal was the worse with more distortion (of course musicsope doesn't do the 2'nd unfold of mqa, the first unfold was done, because if I played the files on foobar2000 mqa logo and correct sample rate appeared in SMSL M500 MK2 "as played with Tidal"). For me mqa is the worse thing that happen to music since mp3.