RME ADI-2 DAC FS 2-Channel DA Converter

Nice little DAC. It's fairly solidly built but not quite heavy enough. For a piece of equipment this expensive, I don't appreciate it when the whole left side gets pushed backward by the amount of force it takes to activate the power button with a finger. It's the same idea as laptops - it shouldn't take enough force to lift up the whole computer when you're opening the screen, but I digress... Sound quality is excellent and even better it has a "loudness" function similar to what you used to see in the 70s and 80s on hi-fi receivers. RME says this function is intended for low volume listening, but It really makes listening to older or less dynamic recordings more fun at any volume. There are also adjustments for Bass and Treble which can be activated alone or in combination with Loudness. Lots of room to really enhance the sound to your preference. I haven't seen another DAC with these features. The RME is feature-rich and comes with a manual the size of a paperback book (although there are numerous pages devoted to other languages). It took me several hours to get through it all and I still don't think I understand all of the different things you can do with it. Professional grade equipment, IMO. The headphone amplifier is also *very good* and has been reviewed favorably at audiosciencereview . com for its sheer power compared to other headphone amps, some costing much more than this - plus you're getting the best DAC ASIC on the market, so win-win. I have also tried the In Ear Monitor (IEM) jack with a pair of relatively cheap IEMs I got on Amazon and it's great, but the cord isn't very long so I'd have to sit down on the floor in front of the unit if I wanted to use them more often. If you're buying some IEMs for use with this product, I recommend looking into some type of extension cord unless you'll be keeping the RME on a desktop. The remote is very functional and a step up over the previous model (RME didn't re-name the ADI-2 DAC FS when they quietly upgraded the DAC ASIC from the AKM 4490 to the 4493 mid-production in 2019 or 2020) which had a remote with fewer buttons and functions. When I purchased this in June of 2020 the price was $1149. I really don't see why the price would go up by over $130 in a year's time even with the pandemic and possible higher shipping costs and/or worker shortages. If anything the price should be coming down as other companies release competitive products and other DAC ASIC manufacturers (SABRE for example) continue to tweak and develop higher end chips of their own (and in fact AKM now touts the 4499 as their flagship DAC, so RME should consider upgrading if they're going to charge this much). Other than the new price, my only minor complaint is the lack of MQA support, but as an engineer I am still skeptical of that "technology" insofar as being useful for anything other than protecting copyrights on certain artists/recordings/studios. The fact of the matter is that MQA *is* a lossy codec, and I've owned other DACs with the capability including very expensive ones and not noticed any real difference through higher end headphones (AKG K-712), IEMs or high resolution loudspeakers like the JBL synthesis series. All in all, if you've got $1300 to spend on a DAC, you could do a lot worse than this, but others are catching up. Again, the build quality (made in Germany) is excellent. The display can be switched between a "graphics equalizer", plain volume and several other useful screens full of data. The user interface can be intimidating at first, but once I set it, I basically forget it and only play with the volume, loudness and bass/treble when listening to music. Rated 9/10 for build, functionality and sound quality; 5/10 for the increasing price without any added features. REVISION: I see that the price has fallen back to its original ~$1000 range. For this price, you can't go wrong. Don't pay attention to anyone saying that the only people who like this DAC are stepping up from less expensive models. That's hogwash. I 'downgraded' to this DAC from a top of the line ESS and a PS Audio reference DAC and this is a far better value with better sound. Also ignore reviews that try to pin the popularity of this DAC on one subjective audiophile reviewer like Darko. The ADI-2 v.2 has been tested rigorously at audiosciencereview . com and it is objectively better than NUMEROUS more expensive DACs with lower distortion and a very powerful headphone amp capable of driving difficult, low impedance phones.

I bought this DAC for my home office desktop audiophile system for my PC and Mac. Here is the configuration: 1)Digital Streamer: WiiM Streamer (connected to DAC using optical audio cable). 2)Computer: PC and Mac (connected to DAC using USB audio (midi) cable). 3)DAC: RME ADI2DACFS (Connected to amplifier using RCA cable) 4)Amplifier: Audiolab 6000a (connected to speakers using banana speaker cables). 5)Speakers: KEF LS50 meta First, the negative which everyone should be aware, this DAC comes with ESS 9028Q2M (NOT AKM 4493) because the AKM factory caught fire two years ago and the AKM 4493 is not available. This fact is not reflected in Amazon, but there is a youtube channel (produced by RME) that explains why a DAC chip change had to be made and how ESS 9028Q2M is "as good" as AKM4493. I don't completely buy it because industry insiders know each DAC chipsets have their own distinctive sound. Plus, ESS9029Q2M is actually a lower end of ESS mobile DAC chip whereas AKM 4493 is little higher end. The fact that RME had originally chosen AKM 4493 (which is little more expensive than ESS 9028Q2M) says a lot. Having said all this, this DAC is fantastic. It has low distortion, very meaty sound, high detailed resolution, and customization galore. I am convinced this DAC could be the best audio equipment you could buy for under $1500 which would make a HUGE difference to your audio system. Previously, I had Cambridge Audio DACMAGIC 200M DAC, which I was satisfied with until I had noticed a significant distortion at higher volume and sampling rates. I was OK with it, but I wanted something that would allow me to listen without the slight ringing in my ear. I decided to take the plunge and buy this DAC which had cost 2.5X more than my DacMagic 200M. I was delighted when I heard the RME DAC for the first time. This RME DAC is a superior to DacMagic 200M in every way. The sound is more detailed, it is fuller (with more meat on it), it has a wider sound stage, and best of all, the distortion is MUCH lower. The RME DAC is also far more customizable. I did play around with different bit\sampling rate to get the best sound quality/distortion possible. RME provides a nice driver for both PC and MAC which I recommend every one to use. The driver allows me to set both the bit rate (16 or 24) and sampling rate (it can go very high). After trying various settings, I have found the sound quality to distortion ratio is, for me, best at 24bit\48hz sampling rate. I also set the RME DAC to use the "NOS" filter which seems to work the best for me. As many others had mentioned, this DAC is highly customizable and understanding all the setting does take some practice and time. Finally, if you have an older but quality audio system, and you would like to upgrade your digital music, then I HIGHLY recommend this DAC and plug it in, via USB, from a high quality music lossless Music source. It will breathe new life into your older audio system. Pros: 1)This DAC can unsuck your audio system if you listen to digital music. 2)Best under $1500 investment you can make for your audio system. 3)Sound is detailed, meaty, wide, and high. The sound has that "wow" factor. 4)You can customize the DAC filters, EQ, headphones, etc. This DAC can work with any musical tastes and preferences. 5)Both headphone amps are of very high quality with high degree of customization. Cons: 1)The DAC chipset is ESS 9028Q2M (not AKM 4493). 2)The customization is nice but also entails high degree of complexity. If you are not into configuring machines, then perhaps a simpler DAC would be better. 3)Headphone, although very good, is not quite as fantastic as the DAC.

This Dac is a masterpiece, transparent, very revealing, and it allows you to EQ your speakers and headphones, crossfeed make headphones sound more natural, highly recommend for professionals and audiophiles who want the best.

ADI-2 DAC FS version ESS, neuf dans une boîte scellée. J'ai juste eu besoin de mettre à jour le micrologiciel.

prodotto del mondo Professionale e come tale è versatile al 100 per cento ma ovviamente come plug and play va benissimo in più con il suo controllo da ipad o pc vi semplifica la vita. Suono: neutro come si addice ad un apparecchio pro, non ci mette niente di suo ,se volete ce lo mettete voi. A questo prezzo vi portate a casa convertitore,equalizzatore , amplificatore cuffie e pre,fate voi.Per la recensione completa ed entusiastica su youtube trovate tutto (Darko Audio o Audio2G) e comunque è un ottimo apparecchio.

This is an excellent DAC, especially at this price. It’s professional gear, but you can just plug it in between your digital source and your amplifier and enjoy wonderful sound. The remote has bass and treble controls, as well as adjustable left/right balance. You may not think you need or would ever stoop to use such controls, but once you get used to them you will be surprised how much they can improve sub-par recordings. If you search this product name along with ‘schneider’, you will find a short and complete description of the unit and also a link to independent test results which are startlingly good. Should you want to delve deeper into the professional adjustments possible with this thoroughly thought-out interface, you should check the manual that comes with it for the exact version number. Many of the descriptions on the web, including RME’s own tutorials, are based on different versions of the firmware, and you can be easily led astray, as they never mention exactly which firmware version they are demonstrating. And Amazon is the only place you can buy and try and return if you are not happy! I am very happy that I bought this DAC, but less than happy that I received an obviously used item - remote package ripped open, remote activated, sticker regarding power input removed and put back in the wrong place, etc.. Despite the Amazon listing which says. “Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days”, when I tried to get it replaced with a new, unopened unit I ran into some difficulty. The first person I spoke to said “Sure, no problem” and put me on hold, only to come back and say that he was transferring me to somebody in a special department. This new person, who couldn’t even read the name of the item correctly from the Amazon listing, took my information and then informed me that because this is a "high value" item, they wouldn’t do an exchange but that I could return it. She gave me the impression that she was dubious about my claim that I had received a used item, and said it was listed on Amazon’s inventory as “new”. Another review here says that he received a used item, so my experience is not unique. The follow-up e-mail I received did not include the name of the person who sent it — unusual in my experience, as whenever I have had to contact Amazon by phone, the person I’ve spoken with has been ultra polite, friendly and helpful, and the follow-up e-mail always contains their name. So I bought a new one from Amazon, and when it arrived, returned the used one without any problem. This DAC replaces the DAC in my Grace Design m920, which I now use as a preamp. I continue to marvel at how good the RME is — and Amazon’s price is now lower than what I originally paid, making it more of a bargain.

Wenn ich zuhause Musik über Kopfhörer hören wollte, habe ich bis vor kurzem noch meinen Beyerdynamic T1-2 direkt an den symmetrischen Ausgang meines portablen Musikplayers Fiio M11 pro angeschlossen. Das funktionierte zufriedenstellend, aber die Kraft des Fiio reichte so gerade eben aus für die 600 Ohm des T1. Ich hatte den M15 schon bestellt, aber dann las ich zufällig einen Artikel über den RME ADI-2 DAC FS. Die Auslieferung des M15 verzögerte sich, und so nahm ich die Gelegenheit wahr, die Bestellung zu stornieren und stattdessen den RME zu bestellen. Ich betreibe ihn an einem Raspberry Pi 3 mit HiFiBerry Digi+ Pro, den ich als Roon-Bridge nutze. Fangen wir mal mit der Bedienungsanleitung an: Die wird als zwei mal 70 Seiten (deutsch, englisch) dickes Buch in Spiralbindung mitgeliefert! Nicht nur vom Umfang, sondern auch vom Schreibstil her würde ich sie eher als "technisches Betriebshandbuch" bezeichnen. Ich bin mir ziemlich sicher, dass es nicht aus der Feder eines Mitarbeiters der Marketingabteilung oder einer externen Agentur stammt, sondern dass die Ingenieure, die das Gerät entwickelt haben, auch die Anleitung erstellt haben. Sie klingt zum Einen sehr technisch, zum Anderen ist in jedem Satz der Stolz über das Produkt herauszulesen! RME stellt nun mal in erster Linie digitale Studiotechnik her, und der ADI-2 DAC FS ist auch die leicht abgespeckte Version des Profigerätes ADI-2 Pro. Gegenüber diesem fehlt ihm aber im Prinzip nur der Analog-Digital-Wandler, der auch den Anschluss analoger Quellen ermöglicht. Und immerhin widmet sich eine der 70 Seiten des Handbuchs auch dem Betrieb an der heimischen HiFi-Anlage. ;-) Das Gerät ist sehr gut verarbeitet. Es kommt in einem eher technisch-nüchternem Metallgehäuse daher, dessen Rückseite immerhin ein "Made in Germany" verkündet. Das Netzkabel kann am Gerät verriegelt werden. Trotz aller Kompliziertheit ist die Inbetriebnahme recht einfach: Anschließen und genießen! Der belegte Eingang (USB, optisch und koaxial stehen zur Verfügung) wird automatisch erkannt. Für InEars und andere niedrigohmige Kopfhörer gibt es einen speziellen iEM-Ausgang. Meinen T1 betreibe ich natürlich an der 6,3 mm Stereoklinke. Einen symmetrischen Kopfhörerausgang gibt es leider nicht. Tatsächlich hat der RME eine enorme Kraft! Zwar musste ich im Menü "Hi-Power" wählen, aber dann bringt er den T1 mit einer Leichtigkeit zum Klingen, dass es eine Freude ist! Und was da noch für Reserven sind - unglaublich! Fangen wir mit einer DSD-Datei von Alan Parsons "I Robot" an. Donnerwetter! Man ist gleich versucht, den Lautstärkeregler weit aufzudrehen, obwohl ich eigentlich eher in gemäßigter Lautstärke höre. Aber das absolute Fehlen von Rauschen und jeglicher Verzerrung auch bei höheren Lautstärken sind da echt verführerisch! Zum Vergleich mit dem bisherigen Fiio drehe ich die Lautstärke jedoch etwas runter. Ich will ja nicht ein bloßes "Lauter" als besseren Klang fehlinterpretieren. Tatsächlich sind die Bässe des T1 nun ein klein wenig kräftiger als beim Fiio. Und tatsächlich gewinnt auch die Ortbarkeit von Stimmen und Instrumenten noch mal deutlich. So sind die einzelnen Sänger des Chors in "Total Eclipse" nun einzeln zu orten. Eine Fähigkeit, die ich kürzlich erst dem T1-3 wohlwollend zu-, dem T1-2 jedoch absprach. Nun weiß ich, dass es an meiner Quelle lag, die mit den 32 Ohm des T1-3 kein Problem hatte, wohl aber mit den 600 Ohm des T1-2. Auch andere Musik klingt nun deutlich besser, wenngleich ich es auch nicht immer in Worte fassen kann. Tatsache ist, dass insbesondere komplexe Musik vom RME profitiert. Klassische Orchestermusik, aber auch progressive Rock (wie "Close to the Edge" von Yes oder "With Friends from the Orchestra" von Marillion) klingt detaillierter, weniger angestrengt als noch zuvor. Und auch da wieder profitieren die Bässe. Dass das Gerät aus dem Profibereich stammt, merkt man auch an der Fülle der Konfigurationsmöglichkeiten. Ein paar von denen sind sogar einzigartig, wie zum Beispiel eine konfigurierbare Loudness-Funktion über das Setzen einer Low Volume Referenz. Auch das Verhalten der analogen Ausgänge auf der Rückseite lässt sich in vielerlei Hinsicht bestimmen. Und natürlich sind auch Crossfeed und ein parametrischer Equalizer mit an Bord. Ich kann auf die Klangoptimierungen gut verzichten, auch Crossfeed überzeugt mich nicht wirklich. Eine tolle Spielerei dagegen ist das geniale Farbdisplay, das wirklich über so ziemlich alles Auskunft gibt. Die Fernbedienung hat zusätzlich 4 Tasten, deren Funktion sich definieren lässt. Ich bin super glücklich mit dem Gerät, das wirklich keine Wünsche offen lässt. Die Klangabstimmung trifft mit der konsequenten Neutralität meinen Geschmack. Über die Auswahl des Filters, die regelbare Loudness und letztlich den parametrischen Equalizer kann sich jeder den Klang so pimpen, dass er den eigenen Vorlieben entspricht. Ich wünschte, ich hätte den neuen Beyerdynamic T1-3 behalten, statt ihn zurückzugeben, denn dann hätte ich mal ausprobieren können, ob ich mit dem RME dessen krummen Frequenzgang irgendwie wieder zurechtgebogen bekommen hätte.