Little dilemma here, recently acquired a Violectric V281 wanted to couple it with some XLR's to the excellent DAC of the ADI-2 Pro, but at 0.0dB it is very close to distortion, and with EQ on it does indeed distort in bass heavy tracks, most likely because of a input overload on the V281. A guy said to me that the ADI-2 Pro because it has a fully digital volume control it doesn't matter how loud it is configured as there's no signal degradation (avoids noise and distortion as well) is this true?
I had this little theory of setting up the ADI-2 Pro with an preferred approximate max volume, and then turn the potentiometer on the V281 somewhere between 12 o'clock and 3'clock as normal listening level which minimizes signal degradation on the V281. (pre-gain depending on impedance headphone)
What is your take on this guys?
Cheers!
Hi NickedWicked,
I will be interested in comparisons of the RME --> integrated amp vs RME --> V281.
Re. my experience of using the RME ADI 2 PRo --> iFi iCAN Pro combination,
keeping in mind that I listen at low level:
I tried many different levels settings, starting from [ RME at 0dB --> iCAN very low ] and turning down the volume of the RME and up the volume of the iCAN --> [RME very low --> iCAN high]
this mainly with the Utopia, Clear, K872, LCD-X, XC.
I could not hear a difference between these settings.
What I unfortunately always experienced, whatever these settings,
is that, compared to the RME integrated amp, the iFi degrades the signal:
- OK it sounds warmer, but with
- a very noticeably increased SNR (I cannot listen at very low level especially with iCAN--> Audeze, while I can do it with the RME integrated amp. With the Focals and clean records , I can perceive a background noise floor with iFI while I can't hear any noise floor the RME)
- quite decreased level of detail
- decreased level of dynamics
- decreased quality of drum attacks in metal music.
With the headphones I own and for my low listening levels, I don't need to connect an amp to the RME.
(But I would have to, would I need to drive the Susvaras.)
I think that the both the RME DAC and integrated amp have a super SQ and if you listen at low level like me additional amp results in degradation compared to the integrated amp..
( But an external amp may needed for those who like tube sound?, but I am not sure it would be good to use a device like the RME with such a clean output to connect it to tubes?)
For me the upgrade over the RME I have been interested in is.. the Chord Dave (since the time I heard Dave --> Utopia).
However the Dave is very expensive and too unpractical (I put my devices on my computer desk and already have four devices stacked, starting with a full size AV amp for 5.1 speakers, so I have no space for a device like the DAVE which cannot be arranged together with other devices),
so I am waiting and hoping for a Chord Hugo TT 2 which would have the SQ of the Dave and which I could stack.
(there may be some hope as Chord increased the SQ from the Hugo 1 to the Hugo 2 at about the same level as the SQ of the Hugo TT 1)
Enjoy your V281 and have a nice weekend,
bidn