[drtebi]

Add this guy to your list: RME ADI-2 Pro
I own it. I would love to tell you my experience with it, but it's still in the mail

 

[ler224]

Yes, This is exactly what I am looking for, a bit pricy though. How did you make the choice to order it? I would be interested to know your feedback.

 

[drtebi]

Yes, This is exactly what I am looking for, a bit pricy though. How did you make the choice to order it? I would be interested to know your feedback.

It's complicated...

I started building my own speakers a while back, and now in my living room I am experimenting with a new open-baffle speaker setup with high-sensitivity drivers. I really love it so far, super clean, very dry and clear bass response. The problem however is, that open-baffle speakers need to be equalized below the "dipole-peak", which is about 240 Hz for me. Further, this system is also an active 3-way, meaning I have an active crossover and three amps for low/mid/hi. As you can see, in this case I am not even too interested in the headphone output of the RME ADI-2 Pro, even though it's supposed to be very good.

Considering that setup... I like the RME ADI-2 Pro because...
- Most active crossovers have balanced inputs, so having a pre-amp with balanced outputs just makes things easier
- It has a 5-band parametric EQ, which will allow me to do the equalization my open-baffle speakers need.
- It has analog and digital outputs, so I could use e.g. a DSP-based amp, feeding it the digital signal, and analog everything else
- I really like the implementation of loudness in the RME ADI-2 Pro. It's a scientific fact that we hear less bass and treble detail at lower volumes, so a sophisticated loudness option makes a lot of sense to me
- Everything can be controlled from the device itself; I don't have to connect a PC to control it via software, which some Pro USB DACs require
- It has plenty of inputs, including analog ones, so I can connect my phono stage to it
- It's USB connection works both ways, so you can use your computer to record analog sources through it
- Objective reviews (those that actually measure devices and judge the results) are very positive
- It's made in Germany... like me

Disappointing is the 6 month warranty. I know today you often don't get more than 12 month, but it just doesn't scream confidence. However, if you order it from Thommann, you get 3 years, it's just what they do with everything they sell.
http://thomann.com/
Shipping takes a bit... but I will let you know more when I get it (what exactly do you want to know?).
It's worth going through the manual, it's bloody long and really shows you all the features it has, and lots of scientific insides, too.

With all that said... I really hope the RME ADI-2 Pro will live up to what it promises. Either way, I will report back here.

Cheers,
DrTebi

 

[UncleMike]

What else is there that does what I'm looking for?[/QUOTE]

In my studio I use the Apogee Symphony MK II.
Great converters, excellent headphone amp and independent level/volume controls.

http://www.apogeedigital.com/products/symphony-io

 

[drtebi]

Hi,

are you still looking, or have you bought something yet?

I got my RME ADI-2 Pro since a few days now, and am quite happy with it. As you may have noticed from my previous post, my use is not quite "typical", e.g. I haven't even tried the headphone output yet It works really well in my setup so far.

I did read the manual once or twice before it arrived, so I was prepared. But since I have it running, I only looked into the manual once—in other words, the user interface is really well made, and quickly learned. The display is small, but very high resolution, so that adjusting the EQ for example is still quite nicely possible (visually speaking).

Most of my HiFi stuff is vintage... Accuphase, Sony, Yamaha etc., so I am not used to such small devices. The dials and buttons feel OK, but nothing like a 70s vintage machine... nevertheless, overall quality looks very good, the connectors are solid and professional.

I am happy with the sound, having mostly used the USB input so far. The volume, bass, and treble adjustments are always ready to use, and it's quite nice to have. The ADI-2 Pro is also super quiet. Seriously, I would know, having speakers with about 95dB sensitivity.

Well, not sure what you would want to learn from my experience, if you are still looking, just ask questions, I've got this thread on my watch list.

 

[occamsrazor]

Hi,

are you still looking, or have you bought something yet?

I got my RME ADI-2 Pro since a few days now, and am quite happy with it. As you may have noticed from my previous post, my use is not quite "typical", e.g. I haven't even tried the headphone output yet It works really well in my setup so far.

I did read the manual once or twice before it arrived, so I was prepared. But since I have it running, I only looked into the manual once—in other words, the user interface is really well made, and quickly learned. The display is small, but very high resolution, so that adjusting the EQ for example is still quite nicely possible (visually speaking).

Most of my HiFi stuff is vintage... Accuphase, Sony, Yamaha etc., so I am not used to such small devices. The dials and buttons feel OK, but nothing like a 70s vintage machine... nevertheless, overall quality looks very good, the connectors are solid and professional.

I am happy with the sound, having mostly used the USB input so far. The volume, bass, and treble adjustments are always ready to use, and it's quite nice to have. The ADI-2 Pro is also super quiet. Seriously, I would know, having speakers with about 95dB sensitivity.

Well, not sure what you would want to learn from my experience, if you are still looking, just ask questions, I've got this thread on my watch list.

Hi, just interested to hear any more thoughts you might have on the ADI-2 after further use?

Also, just FYI, a new firmware update out yesterday might be of interest....
https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=26367

 

[drtebi]

Hi, thanks for the update info, I will check that out.

I have been using the ADI-2 Pro on a regular basis, and really have no complaints. I tested the SPDIF input the other day with the break-out cable (SPDIF can only be connected that way, unfortunately; TOSLINK however is built-in, as well as USB). Worked without trouble. The device does get a bit warm; this never caused a problem though, just worth pointing out I guess.

Another thing worth mentioning is the power supply plug—you can give it a 90° twist and it will lock. This is a small but great little feature if you are messing about a lot with cables... no accidental unplugging.

What I am using the ADI-2 Pro for the most is to EQ' my open baffle speakers. It works really well. The spectral analyzer is also very accurate, and helps in finding the frequencies you want to tweak. Presets of EQ settings can be saved with names, so it's easy to recall different settings later on. The menu layout is very well thought out.

The switching between the different modes (e.g. "Preamp" and "USB Mode") does sometimes take a second or so, it's not always immediate. Sometimes I also hear a "click" when I turn the RME on while the amps are already on. Doesn't happen when I turn it off. This is not a big "thumb" that could hurt the speakers, just a "click", but still a bit annoying. Simple solution is to turn the RME on before the amps...

Sorry, but I have still not used the headphone outputs

I would still complain about the little and few buttons, but as I said before, I am used to vintage stuff with big knobs and buttons... and by the way, I have now connected the RDE ADI-2 Pro through the tape loop of my Sony TA-E86, and thus it has become much quicker to switch mono/stereo, or change the L/R balance. And of course, that big fat aluminum machined volume knob with its Alps potentiometer is a league above the RDE encoder...

However, overall I would definitely recommend the RME. It is a lot more than just a DAC... in other words, if all you need is a DAC, then the RME ADI-2 Pro would be overkill. But if you want features like the EQ for example, it's hard to beat.