[ZenErik]

Neither are all in one or have the features of the ADI-2 DAC. But if you don't want/need those features then perhaps.

A big reason to buy the ADI-2 DAC is because you want the features it offers at a very reasonable price. Personally, I admit that I don't think it sounds quite as good as my Onyx did as a DAC, but it's very close for $1500 less while having a lot more utility.

 

[oyster]

Yep, I don't think any other DAC can match the features of the RME. I would admit that I had fun playing with plethora of options on the RME. I usually dislike DSP and similar features, but RME does it professionally and doesn't go overboard with the implementation. The features make impact exactly as they should at the hardware level and no garbage software processing .

 

[VRacer-111]

I think it's unbeatable for the options and customization you get at its price point, but will agree from a sound quality perspective I do have other DAC unit I prefer for less depending on headphone used. My TH-X00PH does not like the ADI-2 compared to my Gustard X20U - bass comes across as more lacking, mids are less dynamic and rich, and highs more sterile sounding. The Campfire Audio Cascade I demoed worked better on the ADI-2 than the Gustard X20U - punchier, more dynamic and cleaner sounding. The STAX L300 Limited sounds good from the ADI-2, with extreme clarity and nice low end punch, but the Gustard X20U does seem to give them a more rich sound and better overall low end presentation. Overall I do like the RME ADI-2 DAC very much for what it can do with STAX, but my TH-X00PH is much better suited to the Gustard setup.

 

[Soundwave76]

When I first saw it , that .1 lbs power supply for the unit was already an indicator of the DACs performance.

This 'issue' was just asked also in the RME Forum. The reply is worth reading...

https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=27006

 

[NickedWicked]

As a DAC alone Gumby (At a bit higher price though) does a much better job. Way better dynamics and agreeable tone/timbre.
At a much lower price, get a Vintage PCM63 DAC and mod the hell out of it. Parts + unit cost won't exceed $400.

I hope you know for professional purposes the DAC is great, it goes head to head with Antelope, Crane, Lynx, Mytek and Benchmark converters which is nuts for the price, and multiple people on Gearslutz can confirm that.

 

[tekkster]

Huh, strange, the RME ADI-2 DAC arrived today, and it's hard to get the same sound I remember from the unit I borrowed.

Gotta admit, I do love the eq controls and the spectrum analyzer, and like how each of the three outputs have their own settings to customize, that's pretty nifty.

Overall, sounds a little "veiled" compared to the H2, but a pretty laid back and relaxing sound. Through the ifi ican pro, the hd800 sounds great with classical orchestral and big band jazz music. I mean, there's a little more blending of sounds than on the H2, but even still, playing around with eq, I can really bring up instruments focused on certain frequencies that often disappear. So, while it might provide less detail, I can customize more with the detail I do get. Which I really enjoy.

Barely had half an hour with each headphone, jumping between sara bareilles, lindsey stirling, vivaldi, wa mozart, ella fitzgerald, robben ford, dave brubeck, chris botti,

A lot of little sounds you can hear with the Utopia on the H2 disappear. and it sounds kinda muddy to me.
Not super happy with the KSE1200 on it
Pretty good fit with the HD800 after passing through iCan Pro.
Nice with Cascade. Helps soften the bass and bring up the mid and get to my desired ceiling for the treble without causing wincing pain.
With the nighthawk and nightowl, it's pretty darn phenomenal to me. Yes, it is a little thin compared to how these headphones act on the Mojo or iCan Pro, but very middling, in a good way.
On the T1, it lacks oomph at higher volumes (which isn't very loud for me anyway) but the surprise for me is how well the T1 sounds at low volume. I like.
On the PM3, meh. doesn't really do anything for me.
On the Meze 99c, I really really enjoy it. I bring up the treble a bit, drop the bass a bit, and the 99c becomes a brighter headphone. still a tad bit of blending of instruments, which always bugged me about the 99c, but much less so.

If I didn't have the mojo, h2, idsd bl, (and the ican pro amp), I'm pretty sure the rme would leave me wanting a little more for some headphones, and a lot more for the utopia and kse1200. But, given what I already have, the rme is a really great addition for certain types of music. A little more laid back, never overwhelming or sharp, always relaxed and enjoyable.

For me, the ideal pairing with this, especially at lower volume listening, is the T1.

 

[technobear]

Huh, strange, the RME ADI-2 DAC arrived today, and it's hard to get the same sound I remember from the unit I borrowed.
.

Come back to us on that after 50 hours, or 100 hours, or even 200 hours (my personal minimum break-in time).

 

[tekkster]

Come back to us on that after 50 hours, or 100 hours, or even 200 hours (my personal minimum break-in time).

I did have another unit for about two weeks, that already had a lot of time on it by its owner, and listened for well over 100 hours on it (I work from home).
The unit that arrived today is mine. The only real difference is now I can hook it up to the iCan Pro which I didn't own at the time I borrowed the previous unit.
Thought I'd mentioned that.

 

[Soundwave76]

Come back to us on that after 50 hours, or 100 hours, or even 200 hours (my personal minimum break-in time).

Pro tip: Studio professionals using RME gear use 0 hours for break-in time. They understand that break-in does not happen on the gear, but always on the listeners mind, because the humain brain adapts.

 

[bidn]

Huh, strange, the RME ADI-2 DAC arrived today, and it's hard to get the same sound I remember from the unit I borrowed.

Gotta admit, I do love the eq controls and the spectrum analyzer, and like how each of the three outputs have their own settings to customize, that's pretty nifty.

Overall, sounds a little "veiled" compared to the H2, but a pretty laid back and relaxing sound. Through the ifi ican pro, the hd800 sounds great with classical orchestral and big band jazz music. I mean, there's a little more blending of sounds than on the H2, but even still, playing around with eq, I can really bring up instruments focused on certain frequencies that often disappear. So, while it might provide less detail, I can customize more with the detail I do get. Which I really enjoy.

Barely had half an hour with each headphone, jumping between sara bareilles, lindsey stirling, vivaldi, wa mozart, ella fitzgerald, robben ford, dave brubeck, chris botti,

A lot of little sounds you can hear with the Utopia on the H2 disappear. and it sounds kinda muddy to me.
Not super happy with the KSE1200 on it
Pretty good fit with the HD800 after passing through iCan Pro.
Nice with Cascade. Helps soften the bass and bring up the mid and get to my desired ceiling for the treble without causing wincing pain.
With the nighthawk and nightowl, it's pretty darn phenomenal to me. Yes, it is a little thin compared to how these headphones act on the Mojo or iCan Pro, but very middling, in a good way.
On the T1, it lacks oomph at higher volumes (which isn't very loud for me anyway) but the surprise for me is how well the T1 sounds at low volume. I like.
On the PM3, meh. doesn't really do anything for me.
On the Meze 99c, I really really enjoy it. I bring up the treble a bit, drop the bass a bit, and the 99c becomes a brighter headphone. still a tad bit of blending of instruments, which always bugged me about the 99c, but much less so.

If I didn't have the mojo, h2, idsd bl, (and the ican pro amp), I'm pretty sure the rme would leave me wanting a little more for some headphones, and a lot more for the utopia and kse1200. But, given what I already have, the rme is a really great addition for certain types of music. A little more laid back, never overwhelming or sharp, always relaxed and enjoyable.

For me, the ideal pairing with this, especially at lower volume listening, is the T1.

Hi tekkster,

congratulations with your RME!

I want to mention two things re. your impressions.

1.
Have you tried out different filters?
slow filter = smoother
sharp = more detail...

2.
I find that the ICAN Pro degrades a lot the level of details, clarity (SNR), attacks and dynamics of my RME ADI-2 PRO.
For me it is much better to use directly and only the RME amp ( through which the output of the DAC goes anyway even for the line out standard voltage).
So I advise you to try bypassing the iFi.

Hoping you will enjoy your RME!

Edit:
I mean especially with headphones producing a very clean , detailed and dynamic sound like Focal 's, especially the Utopia, but also the Clear, Elear, or AKG's K812 or modded K872.

 

[tekkster]

Pro tip: Studio professionals using RME gear use 0 hours for break-in time. They understand that break-in does not happen on the gear, but always on the listeners mind, because the humain brain adapts.

A likely reason the RME I received doesn't sound like the loaner. I'd gotten used to the H2 and Mojo for too long.

 

[Soundwave76]

^ Exactly!

 

[tekkster]

Hi tekkster,

congratulations with your RME!

I want to mention two things re. your impressions.

1.
Have you tried out different filters?
slow filter = smoother
sharp = more detail...

2.
I find that the ICAN Pro degrades a lot the level of details, clarity (SNR), attacks and dynamics of my RME ADI-2 PRO.
For me it is much better to use directly and only the RME amp ( through which the output of the DAC goes anyway even for the line out standard voltage).
So I advise you to try bypassing the iFi.

Hoping you will enjoy your RME!

Edit:
I mean especially with headphones producing a very clean , detailed and dynamic sound like Focal 's, especially the Utopia, but also the Clear, Elear, or AKG's K812 or modded K872.

Thanks! I am enjoying the RME immensely.

Love the filters. And the sharp filter does help, but it doesn't quite get the same springy, staccato, fast effect on snare drums, guitar plucks, and short cymbal sounds.
Love the "loudness" feature, it works magic on the T1 connected directly to the RME. Never even thought about it until I was testing it out on the borrowed unit.
Love the EQ to no end. I think there are enough pre-sets to cover all my fav headphones.
Not so big on the bass boost and treble boost under line-out, phones, iem. The bass boost does work well and garners that rumbly sensation, but not really a bass fan. And while the treble boost works well, my favorite headphones are a little treble "responsive" to begin with.

As you suggest, I've also realized that connecting directly to the RME is much better for a lot of headphoens

Yeah, the iCan Pro does remove a lot of detail too. But I genuinely do love it when using the HD800s because it makes big band stuff (classical, jazz) sound much more expansive than any other setup I have. I still prefer the HD800s on the iCan Pro.
The T1, I can go back and forth between the RME and the RME/iCan Pro.
The Utopia and KSE1200, I'll give it more time, but honestly, feeling pretty confident that, for me anyway, they're not a good fit on the RME and need to stay on the H2 and Mojo.

For most of the other headphones, connecting directly to the RME seems, as you say, the way to go for me too.

I've been spending the last hour with the cascade on the rme. really impressive.

 

[chungjun]

^ that came in a few days back. As eager and excited as I am, couldn’t get alone time with it till today

^ almost a palm - pleasant size and didn’t need much real estate. I have it between my monitor stand and it fits nicely.

 

[chungjun]

Have been reading up the manual and digesting the information provided in it.

One thing that caught my curiosity is the "De-Emphasis" option.

Default setting is "Auto". And from what I read, where the "ADI-2 DAC activates the DAC's de-emphasis automatically when the current source is AES or SPDIF". (from the User Manual para. 31.2)

Not clear how it will be implemented when USB is the source (i.e. would it have a way to detect the if source is recorded with "Emphasis" or not?). As I feed my ADI-2 DAC with USB, I set it to "On" and that seems to tone down the high / treble.

Have you guys tinker around this? What do you set?

My chain is : PC(USB) > RME ADI-2 > Headphone / IEMs