WTT my RME ADI-2 DAC fs for a Denafrips Ares II (or similar r2r) DAC.

[oorensan]

Closed.
Traded outside of ASR for an Audio-GD r-28.

Lovely, the greatest thing about this world is that you can try so many different things and still get amazing results

Keep learning

 

[Jimbob54]

Well, when s/he (lets face it, only a guy would use the handle killerQ, or phorize for that matter) is ready to learn a teacher will appear

Mind you, it’s opened up my mind to the possibility that my 1960s turntable may be able to beat a dac in a SINAD head to head.

It will beat the Audio GD

 

[LarsS]

Guess you’ve read this https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ts-of-audio-gd-r2r11-dac-amp.5779/post-129225

 

[Chrispy]

Did you trade straight up for that gd dac?

 

[KillerQ]

Did you trade straight up for that gd dac?

Yes.

 

[charleski]

Yup- and you can use software like @pkane Distort to add harmonic distortion to taste too, on top of or instead of PEQ.

Personally I think it’s also worth playing around with a tiny bit of plate reverb to get that ‘fleshy’ old-skool microphonic tube sound.
There are lots of free reverb plugins available, and any decent player (JRiver, Audirvana, Roon too I think) will let you hook them in.

 

[Jimbob54]

Personally I think it’s also worth playing around with a tiny bit of plate reverb to get that ‘fleshy’ old-skool microphonic tube sound.
There are lots of free reverb plugins available, and any decent player (JRiver, Audirvana, Roon too I think) will let you hook them in.

Personally I think it’s also worth playing around with a tiny bit of plate reverb to get that ‘fleshy’ old-skool microphonic tube sound.
There are lots of free reverb plugins available, and any decent player (JRiver, Audirvana, Roon too I think) will let you hook them in.

If you know how to get plugins into Roon please tell me- I thought it was walled off with a few exceptions like HQ Player

Also, too late, the OP swapped an RME for and Audio GD. I know!!

 

[charleski]

If you know how to get plugins into Roon please tell me- I thought it was walled off with a few exceptions like HQ Player

I don’t use Roon, but I’ve read of people doing it by directing the audio stream to a secondary router via ASIO. There’s an example here. I suppose you could do something similar on the Mac with SoundSource.

 

[Jimbob54]

I don’t use Roon, but I’ve read of people doing it by directing the audio stream to a secondary router via ASIO. There’s an example here. I suppose you could do something similar on the Mac with SoundSource.

Ah, that would bugger up my streaming from Roon to streaming box. I shall live without additional plugins. Cheers

 

[Bernd]

You have no idea how the right EQ can improve any headphone...

Well said: that is why I love the ADI 2 FS' As some other friend here in the discussion, I also have a pair of Focal Clear and even those can be improved. With the ADI 2 FS that is possible (but I have to agree - it is cumbersome) and on the ARES 2 you're stuck (unless you buy even more expensive equipment like a miniDSP or software like Roon/Moode Player.

Nevertheless: I can understand our friend KillerQ who does not want twiddle and tweak the system. I you spend around 1000 $ on a music device you are entitled to want to just switch it on and be happy with it.

 

[oorensan]

Well said: that is why I love the ADI 2 FS' As some other friend here in the discussion, I also have a pair of Focal Clear and even those can be improved. With the ADI 2 FS that is possible (but I have to agree - it is cumbersome) and on the ARES 2 you're stuck (unless you buy even more expensive equipment like a miniDSP or software like Roon/Moode Player.

Nevertheless: I can understand our friend KillerQ who does not want twiddle and tweak the system. I you spend around 1000 $ on a music device you are entitled to want to just switch it on and be happy with it.

Yeah even tho 1000 ain't that much but some of us just need more from anything. I got Ryzen 5600x, RTX3080 and 3600mhz ddr4 and all of them are OCed to get the maximum performance

Some of us just don't conform

 

[Bernd]

Yeah even tho 1000 ain't that much but some of us just need more from anything. I got Ryzen 5600x, RTX3080 and 3600mhz ddr4 and all of them are OCed to get the maximum performance

Some of us just don't conform

You are damn right - it is the tweakin', twiddlin', overclockin' thing that makes is tick!!!! One of the best moments in my life was when I succeeded to overclock my Intel® Celeron® Processor 500 MHz to 952 Mhz (stable). Sorry, strictly off-topic!

 

[KillerQ]

For sure. Overlocking is definitely fun - especially when you the the OC’ed memory to play nice with everything else. It’s a beautiful thing for sure.

 

[tuga]

I hate to be that guy but ‘similar sounding’ doesn’t give people much to go on given that all transparent dacs are ‘soundless’. Perhaps naming the features that you want would help, not that I can think of a dac that has for features than the rme.

I would like an extra optical input, and a simpler menu navigation system.

 

[Jimbob54]

@KillerQ Do you have the Audio GD- I am interested in your (purely subjective of course) comparisons and thoughts .

 

[KillerQ]

@KillerQ Do you have the Audio GD- I am interested in your (purely subjective of course) comparisons and thoughts .

Hi! Yes, I have the Audio-GD R28. I love it so much. The build quality and component lay out inside is like anything I’ve ever owned.

The sound is absolutely wonderful. There are many sound setting modes as well. It’s pretty much plug and play unlike the RME. The balanced out is also nice and my planars seem to respond much better than they did with my RME.

if I had to compare sound, I would say there there are no details that I’m missing from the RME, but everything is creamier. That’s a combo of warmer and smoother - a term I like to use.

 

[don'ttrustauthority]

Maybe you should try the EQ of the RME to suit your taste rather than just add distortion?
Add a little between 150 and 200 Hz and reduce between 2 and 5kHz...

How is changing the eq not distorting the neutral sound of the amplifier?

 

[jannek]

How is changing the eq not distorting the neutral sound of the amplifier?

Of course with EQ the output of the amp is not linear any more but this is the way to compensate for deviations of the (not at all linear) frequency response of the headphone from (also not linear) target curve.

 

[don'ttrustauthority]

Of course with EQ the output of the amp is not linear any more but this is the way to compensate for deviations of the (not at all linear) frequency response of the headphone from (also not linear) target curve.

Why do you believe it is legitimate to do with with a balance control, but not legitimate to do this by replacing the amplifier?

 

[jannek]

Have a look at some EQ curves necessary to get certain headphones to the (wanted) harman response. Every serious amplifier is linear say +/- 1 db in the audible range. This deviation will not correct flaws in the headphones frequency response. And even if - it would be pure luck if mistakes of headphone and amplifier add up to be just right.
But maybe this discussion is placed better here:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...ver-use-eq-again-well-that-has-changed.20574/