RME ADI-2 DAC fs - Official Thread

DACs and Digital
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My quick shot was of an RME ADI-2 Pro FS and the SPL Phonitor XE with the Uber-DAC installed (I don’t own this one).

It’s too early to say too much other than that the RME is the better DAC, and SPL is the better amp. It mostly comes down to the USB, as the SPL’s DAC sounds better when fed AES from the RME than it does with straight USB.

The headphone amp portion of the ADI-2 Pro FS is marginally better than the ADI-2 DAC if you use it balanced and in Hi-Power mode, but it’s still not as good as the Phonitor.

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The Phonitor XE is from the community loaner. I am definitely going to write a review for it. I just got it yesterday and haven’t really spent much time with it yet. But I can tell you from my previous experience with solid state amps, I have an incredibly difficult time telling them apart. And so far I feel the same way here. On some subtle level, I can usually hear the differences people note, but if I were a betting man I would 100% bet against me in telling them apart in a blind test. That said, the Phonitor is just an amazing piece of kit. The size, weight, build, dials, etc are all top notch. It also just has a lot of features and power. The sound is super clean and if I were big into solid state amps I could see this being high on my want list. But after switching back and forth with my RME (both using single ended) I just can’t hear enough of a difference to warrant the price of the Phonitor. I know people consider the RME’s amp portion the weak link, but I have never had issues with it. But again, I am not a big solid state person and I really just don’t use them much. I only really use them when I am too lazy to warm up tubes or when using planars (which is rare).

I do still want to spend more time with it and test different headphones on it. I think it will shine even more when I use headphones that are more power hungry. But if anything, my time so far has just confirmed how happy I am with my decision to get the RME. I mostly use that with my EC ZDT Jr. I think the RME amp will be fine for all my solid state needs, and the last piece of gear I want to add is the Cavalli Liquid Platinum. I much prefer a powerful tube hybrid over solid state in pretty much every use case.

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Actually pretty accurate, I don’t “hear” a difference between the amps per se… more that the Phonitor has more power and a very “empty deep background” I can’t think of better words here at the moment :thinking: …

Also the features are nice, and it is a good looking amp…I really like the ZMF Aeolus on it (but prefer my tube amps more with it). I agree most of the time I’m using it is because I’m impatient with tube warm up…or more specifically when comparing/reviewing headphones as it so far has been the cleanest no color solid state I’ve heard so far (mostly low to mid-fi amps)…it also makes hearing the very subtle differences of DACs just ever so much easier to pick up (still very hard, but I’m learning).

The front and back headphone outputs are really awesome for quick comparison of headphones also, but be careful the single ended outputs have an issue where you should pause the source and lower volume before plugging in/out or switching to rear output with the toggle…not sure about the toggle but plugging in/out can blow the amp, ruin headphones…that would be a not fun day!

Side note you heading to CanJam next weekend?

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Yeah the SE output short scares the bejesus out of me. To be extra careful my procedure is to pause source, turn volume on amp all the way down, put the amp into standby, and then plug in 1/4". But in general I am just going to do most my testing on the balanced output. I’m actually surprised that the SE output is a little light on power and I have to crank the volume pretty high with more power hungry headphones.

I’m curious since you also have the 789 and Phonitor along with the RME, do you rank the amps as RME < 789 < Phonitor? And if so, how close is the 789 to both the RME and Phonitor? I’ve always considered eventually adding the 789 at some point in the future once they are in stock, but if I already feel the RME and Phonitor are close enough than I wonder if the 789 would do anything for me at all if it is a step below the Phonitor. Either way, I guess I do like the idea of adding a balanced solid state into the chain in case I get the Liquid Plat. and use that as my main amp. It would be nice to just keep everything balanced and not deal with different cables/adapters.

And unfortunately, I can’t make canjam even though it is like an hour from my place. It ended up that a few of my friends from your neck of the woods in the PNW region decided to fly down and visit me next weekend and it’s going to be a really busy weekend hosting them.

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I have similar experience with others on the topic, and that’s the Phonitor is less fatiguing and has a emptier background…but it is only noticeable if really, really looking for it… besides the fatigue factor that is, that rears it’s head only after listening for extended periods of time on the 789.

The Phonitor to me is just a more refined and better version of the THX 789. The look is awesome! More features, more power…

But the THX 789 is a quality buy and I understand the hype behind it. Also we are comparing, studio level amp vs a enthusiast level amp…so it is tough, and as I get more experience with these things…it becomes more and more clear, the differences between higher end gear and mid to low end gear (this applies to all hobbies).

That being said there are plenty of items, gear etc that disrupt the community they are in, I think the THX 789 is currently one of those things…it has caused an uproar, and shown itself to be a quality product that performs as well or better than others in its price bracket and above to a certain degree. (Mass)Drop in general has been doing this a lot in the different spaces it creates/partners with to make products.

Round the arse to get to the elbow…

For me the Phonitor is better than the THX 789, but the THX 789 is more or less right there in performance, but personally I wouldn’t pay more than double the price that it seems to be going for on the aftermarket.

Maybe another time! For CanJam then!

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Unless you’ve got it setup oddly, or you’re using the SE input, then it should have the same power output as the XLR jack.

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New update out!!! (need to redeem my zombie posts… :wink: ) Seriously going to bed now…

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The ADI-2 DAC now supports universal remotes!

https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=28980

This makes me question my switch to the Pro FS. :blush:

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That is awesome! I may have to grab a Logitech remote just for this (I have one for my living room setup).

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And here we go: RME’s ADI-2 DAC enters remote paradise!

Users that own a freely programmable remote, either as part of a home automation system, or self-build with infrared transmitters, or a programmable remote from renowned manufacturer Logitech can now use their remote to control the ADI-2 DAC. RME released a document listing all the supported remote commands and codes:

http://www.rme-audio.de/download/adi2da … mmands.zip

And Logitech added all these commands/codes to their data base for the RME ADI-2 DAC:

http://www.myharmony.com

Search for RME, ADI-2 DAC , in your Harmony software!

The new, extended remote support covers more than the original 11 buttons of RME’s handy inclusion. Users now also have direct access to the 31 ‘remap’ actions/commands, with no remapping necessary. The infrared code list also includes Bass +/-, Treble +/-, and Balance Left/Right control - yes, these functions can now also be remoted if you have a programmable one with enough buttons wink

Furthermore, we found that programmable remotes often do not support a long press on the power button, which is necessary for the DAC. Not only that a short press interrupts the AutoDark mode, we also prevent an accidental switch-off this way, exactly as with the Standby button at the unit. Therefore RME added a specific power-off code that turns off the unit immediately, making it possible to use a third party remote also for switching the unit into standby.

RME’s total remote approach allows to set Polarity, DAC filters, Dim, AutoDark, Crossfeed, Loudness, display control and many more features and functions, comfortably from the preferred listening position, or automated through custom remote solutions.

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I have a couple extra Logitech Harmony remotes. Time to nerd out on this!

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What volume setting should you use when you have external amps connected?
I have Lyr 2 and EC ZDR Jr. connected with RCA splitters. Can I have both turned on at the same time and plug headphones in and out between them and RME?
It says in the manual that “all three outputs will work simultaneously” when Mute Line is set to off, but they categorize the phones and IEM as two outputs, so should it say four instead of three, or have I missed something?

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Ideally you want the displayed volume to be at 0 dB (or 0 dBr), so that you’re not applying software volume control when you could just do it on your analog amplifiers.

We need to take a step back here, however!

For what you’re proposing you probably want to set “Mute Line” to “ON”. That way, when you plug something into the “Phones” or “IEM” socket on the REM unit, it’ll mute the line-output to your other amplifiers. It’ll also mean that last-settings are used for each of the outputs as you switch between them.

Then you’ll want to turn “Auto Ref Level” to “OFF” and manually select a “Reference Level”. I’d suggest +1 dBu to begin with, otherwise you may clip the inputs of your external amplifiers.

The RCA and XLR outputs are treated as ONE output, and will track each other, excepting that the XLR output will always be 6 dB higher in level than the RCA output, so the three outputs are LINE (RCA+XLR), Phones and IEM.

If you have “Auto Ref Level” set to on, then it is likely you’ll not get anywhere near 0 dBr on your volume setting without being well into highly-audible clipping. I don’t recall how much input head room the Lyr 2 has, and I’ve never measured it for the EC ZDT Jr (which is in the office, so I can’t do so at the moment, either), but they won’t have the kind of headroom that studio gear does (which is what the RME unit is initially setup to drive).

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I can only select “OFF”, “vs. Phones” and “Toggle Ph/Line” in “Mute Line”. Do you mean “I/O” > “Line Out” > “Mute” at the bottom?

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You want “vs. Phones”.

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Great vid highlighting RME’s favorite added features

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Another firmware update for the ADI-2 DAC fs. See the link for details; there’s a fair number of fixes/updates involved in this one.

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How does this stand up today against competition? It’s been out 2-3 years now? I have modi-vali and smsl su8 and thx789. I like the eq option on this. I currently use iPhone tidal for listening and have no eq options.

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I think, for me at least it is the best implemented DAC I’ve heard to date, very clean, uncolored profile “well” as uncolored as I can tell. I use it in my reference system(it and the Phonitor XE) and with my SR1A headphones.

Honestly, outside of the new Bifrost I have no desire for another DAC. This does everything and more than what I need and want from a DAC. If I want more color I throw the Airist R2R into the chain…or honestly just swap to a tube amp.

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It stands up very well. DAC-wise I can’t name a better AKM 4490 implementation. It comfortably bests the Modi/Vali and SML SU8/THX 789 setups for me as an all-in-one or a DAC.

It’s only “weakness” is that it can exhibit some minor dynamic compression (you’d have to compare it back to back against the internal headphone output and a competent external amplifier to notice) from it’s headphone output with some headphones, though putting it in High Output mode largely fixes this.

If you just want EQ capability, you could add a Loki EQ to your Modi/Vali stack. You could also do that with the SMSL/THX setup, though you’d have to run them single-ended in that case.

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