How transparent does a DAC have to be to be more transparent than transparent?
RME gear is what the recording and broadcasting professional use. It might be able to spend more money on domestic equipment that measures better than RME in theory. However, since humans cannot actually hear any difference that's moot anyway. Secondly, since the music you buy and the broadcasts you listen too have been made on pro grade kit it wouldn't really matter what the theoretical advantage would be since you cannot add what isn't there in the first place.
UCX is top of the range. A generation later than the, already impeccable, Fireface400 range. Fastest and lowest latency of any comparable unit on the market at the time of release. Despite being USB. That in itself is a credit to the software and hardware design. Got a remote control too.
I understand there are people here who still think different brands of cable sound different. Who think their ears can hear the difference between 0.005% and 0.0004% distortion. That's fine.
I'm simply pointing people who might be a little more open minded and realistic in the direction of first class gear they may not of previously considered. I'm not selling it.
The day you prove you can tell the difference between any RME product and the stuff you are peddling by ear alone is the day I eat my pants.
Maybe the newer unit has better DA conversion, but i suspect its not a serious difference.
Punch of my friends and i myself heard noticeable differences with Yulong D100 (<500$) vs FF400 A-B listening to great speakers.
I am not speaking of subtle differences, frequency range extremes were a lot muddier and sound-stage not as well defined with RME FF400. (Bearing in mind that D100 is a bright dac and not absolutelly neutral. Even then i would use D100 instead as a dac even while mastering a track.)
I used FF400 for many years and thought that it is the end of the line digital to analog conversion. As i have discovered i was wrong. Its good but not nearly best of the best.
No argument that in world class recording RME stuff is used, but as far as i know it is as mixer interface as in this it is unbeatable (no ad/da conversion).
And I agree, AD is actually awesome on the FF400, but still iv'e been in recording business myself and there are subjectively even better gear available than RME. It's not all about measuring good, well known here i think.
Also firewire drivers were a nightmare with RME in my experience.
Software and features were very good, but mostly not needed for everyday listening.
Finally i think RME as a dac only solution is way over-paid. I would not recommend it as such.
As a complete recording solution it is an excellent value.
Apologies if a bit OT.
