RME ADI-2 DAC fs - Official Thread

Yes. The EQ settings are per output. So, set EQ for the headphone out, and another for the monitors, and when using headphones the line out gets muted and the headphone EQ is applied. Unplug the headphones, and line out + line out EQ is used.

Can you get audio out both the line outs + headphone outs at the same time each with their respective EQs enabled?

I doubt it. You would have to look at the owners manual to see if it can be configured to have all outputs hot.

There you go.

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To follow up on my post where I asked if it was normal to hear a noise floor when Hi-Power was turned on: I’ve gone through three units, and been in contact with RME, and, yeah, it’s normal that you can hear a noise floor with some headphones depending on their impedance and sensitivity. It’s not a source or wall outlet issue; the noise floor occurs even when nothing but the PSU is connected, and I visited the store where I bought my first unit from and the noise could be heard there too.

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Should you want to quantify the noise level, maybe this post can help.

Hope that helps.

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Been wondering about this, but is the RME pretty much the only consumer hifi DAC with adjustable reference levels?

Quick q- I’ve been looking for an all in one solution for my desktop and keep leaning to this as a way to listen to various iems (U12t / Polaris / Blessing 2), headphones (HE6se v2 / Elegia / LCD-XC), and my desktop speakers (Audioengine A2+).

That’s a lot of info, but is the amp versatile enough to handle those iems and headphones? Can it drive the HE6se? Anyone have a similar experience?

It’ll be fine with your IEMs, your A2+ speakers and your Elegia and LCD-XC headphones.

With the HE6SE V2 (assuming the V2 has the same sensitivity as the original), your maximum output level via the RME-ADI 2 DAC fs will be 111 dB/SPL. If you allow 6 dB amplifier headroom, that’d put you at 105 dB/SPL, and give you an average listening level of 85 dB/SPL with a 20 dB allowance for musical peaks.

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So, tbh measurements throw me off, but for the HE6se that would be a pretty safe listening level with a decent buffer?

Any you guys use the ADI-2 to drive your IEM’s?..what’s the noise floor like on sensitive sets like CF’s Andro’s but more importantly does it have a good synergy with Sony’s Z1R’s?
:beers: and thanks in advance.

85 dB/SPL should be safe for 8 hours a day … according to various safety organizations. You’ll be able to drive the HE6SE louder than is safe, or comfortable, to listen to for more than a few minutes.

How well it drives them, beyond volume level, is another matter. If it was me, I’d want something more powerful than the ~440mw the RME unit will push into the 50 ohms of the HE6SE.

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If you can find an all-in-one unit with a lower noise floor into IEMs then you’re doing well. It has a dedicated super-low-noise output for that. I’ve never heard any noise or hiss with any IEM I’ve tried with it, including stuff even more hiss prone than the Andromeda.

Can’t comment on how it works with the Z1Rs … not tried them with it.

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I’m open to suggestions. I feel like a novice when it comes to these.

The Mytek DAC+ seems to drive them pretty well, but it isn’t exactly desktop friendly.

I’m late to the party as usual, having just gotten my ADI-2 last week. So far, I’m having a blast with it. As a long time ham radio operator, I find the menu system quite easy to navigate. And, as a retired QA/QC professional, I find the user’s manual extremely well done.

Nice to find a group with so much first-hand experience with the product.

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I used both for a period. They’re great together. The EQ is very handy for manhandling the Z1R’s quirks should you wish.

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hey guys
took.1hours.for me to.go throught all theae post and indeed get alot of.good.opinions and comments about.this.adi2.dac

am going to buy one so thanks.

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OK everyone. I’m about to get kicked dissed on this tread.

I spent at least 8 hours trying to get this set up off of my laptop. The computer and the unit recognized each other but I couldn’t get the USB to send data to the unit. User error for sure.

Then, with some frustration I used my HiBy R6 as a dac to my Liquid Platinum. I simply couldn’t believe what great SQ I was hearing. And I wasn’t even using the R6 balanced output.

My decision is to let the “desktop” system idea go and just use the (incoming) R6 2020 as my dac. This simplifies life immensely, in that I have only one source. I don’t have to screw around with essentially duplicating my portable experience to my laptop.

Now, no A/B’ing has been done HiBy R6/ADI-2, so I can’t speak to sound differences. I’m sure the ADI-2 is a wonderful dac but I’m (perhaps) leaving some SQ on the table for sake of convenience.

Sorry guys!

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hello guys,

I am using Roon Nucleus+ and after upgrade to V1.8, my ADI-2 DAC FS can’t be recognised. does anyone have the same issues?

Just purchased the ADI-2 B-stock from a place near me and I’m loving the sound into my Liquid Platinum so far, but I wanted to leave a few thoughts and see what you guys think.

Before the RME came I was using my LCD-X with the LP through an old audio interface. The LCD-X sounds best with EQ. I was applying this through APO as a system wide adjustment using these settings from an episode of the headphone show How to EQ Headphones - Featuring Audeze LCD-X - YouTube. Seems to be the best I’ve found.

Now with the RME I noticed that the bitrate from different flac files is only used when I use certain audio software. VLC doesn’t make the RME dothat so I tired Audirvana (30 day trial) which works and sounds great but using ASIO bipasses my EQ setting in APO! Well, the RME has its own EQ, but…it only has 5 bands and I’m using 10 in APO.

I attempted to translate the EQ I use from 10 to 5 and it ended up looking like this.
image

RME LCD-X EQ
Band 1: G +3 F120 Q1.4
Band 2: G-2 F470 Q1.4
Band 3: G+7 F3.2k Q1.1
Band 4: G-3.5 F5.5K Q3
Band 5: G+5 F9.5K Q5

This sounds good but compared to the 10 band EQ the highs feel less balanced and can become boxy on certain tracks.

So, with all that said I’m wondering is there a free audio player that people like for the RME that can send the sampling rate to the DAC correctly? Is there a way to do that and use APO (I’m guessing no).

Does anyone have EQ settings for their RME they really like for LCD-X or HD6xx?

My only complaint so far is that the headphone out on the ADI-2 sounds pretty mediocre (especially with the HD6xx). If that was better this unit would be really outstanding.