Matias
500+ Head-Fier
The only reason I see to use pure DSD, bypassing the ADI-2 volume and DSP goodies, is if one is using HQPlayer for upsampling.
RME ADI-2 DAC Thread
- Thread starter NickedWicked
- Start date
Pure DSD to speakers? What speakers, some $250k a pair exotics detail monsters that allow you to discern between PCM and DSD? If that's you gear, why would you ever worry about humble RME gear?
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Does the ADI-2 have the ability to store EQ profiles and switch to them via the remote? For example, could I make an EQ profile for a headphone, save it, and switch to it with a click of the remote? How many profiles can be saved and recalled this way?
The thing goes like this my dear: there are some bands out there, few, that released some of their work in DSD... If it's a 90's band, it is same as cd pretty much, sounds the same. If it's something like, for example Dire Straits Communique album, released in SACD in 2019, DSD, that thing boy, sounds so good that you crap on your pants compared to Red book. You crap in your pants when you compare it, when you hear the difference you think: Oh crap, so I have to spend 5000$ in a dac to hear pretty much no difference, and just by downloading this album in pure real good DSD quality, I just crap on my pants and now my rrousers are all brown!!! holy fricking sheet....
I use pure DSD because it's the best thing ever after sliced bread, its transient times are better than cd, even better than vinyl, the detail is amazing, truly, the instrument separation, the space between instruments. It sounds much better than Red book, or even 24/96. It seems to much faster, in some albums, of course. There are for example hendrix albums in DSD... they are the best digitalization of that album, but still not gonna make magic, and vinyl there sounds better. Some rolling stones albums, really good in dsd, better than hi res pcm. But then most SACD originally recorded analog, those sound awesome in DSD. That's why DSD (SACD) got so popular in japan, cause the japanese know good their crap.
The source is where everything starts from, if you can improve it from free, well, nothing much more to say about it.
This is about DSD, not MQA, MQA is crap.
Download Depeche Mode Violator Album, in DSD. Download Dire Straits Communique album mobile fidelity 2019 SACD DSD version. Hear them, then come back, look at your trousers, and tell me what colour they are. That will answer your question of why to use pure DSD, LOL.
gimmeheadroom
Headphoneus Supremus
I have hundreds of SACD rips. DSD direct to a headamp works fine.
I can't remember but I think so. You can download the manual from the RME site.
Either they are lying, or they haven't experimented enough.
I have it connected to a deep cycle battery via 16 gauge Copper foil cables, and it sounds quite a bit better (lowers distortion by quite a bit). 20 gauge Solid copper sounds grainy compared to copper foil power cables (DIY). The stock power adapter is extremely lacking to say the least. As far as I am concerned, it is cheap junk.
ADD: I know this will annoy a lot of scientists On this forum, but honestly, give it a try before you start to knock it.
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I have experimented with 3 different power supplies myself, both linear and switched. The RME has a noise floor so low you would have to listen at 115+ db to discern any difference, at which point your transducers will be producing more distortion than any battery/power supply. You don't hear power cables since even the cheapest DAC has a filtering stage such as Schiits "comboburrito" filter and the custom filter "designed and built by by SABRE 90XX engineers" Resnoessence Herus and Concero HD DACs.
You read that right, the Resnoessence DACs with 4x filters were made by the very folks who designed and made the SABRE 90XX chips so I would say they know a thing or two about DACs no to mention the 5x filters used by RME.
http://6moons.com/audioreviews/resonessence2/3.html
If the distortion you are hearing is audible, you have a bigger problem than the power supply considering the RMEs THD/IMD specs and half of inaudible distortion is still inaudible.
I think scientists are actually more annoying than that, negating everything. A wallwart can't be as good as a big toroidal linear power supply, like the one in the Denafrips ARES 2, which makes me thing they should make a cheaper one to have a rme competitor, ut at half the price.
I checked out the manual, but it isn't clear about whether it can store EQ presets. I'll ask RME directly if no one here knows.
You missed section 13?
"Load or store up to 20 different EQ settings."
There is also a video from RME on YouTube on how to do this. Very helpful and easy.
gimmeheadroom
Headphoneus Supremus
I think the question was whether they can be recalled from the remote.
gimmeheadroom
Headphoneus Supremus
Clearly, a big transformer is "better" than a switching PSU if money, weight, and heat are no object. RME's argument seems to be that from a practical standpoint, modern switching PSU design is "good enough" that it does not introduce audible noise in their DAC.
I'm definitely a fan of overkill power supplies and I'm willing to pay for them. But it still may be splitting hairs to roll PSUs with the RME.
realmassy
Headphoneus Supremus
Impressive that your ears could distinguish a lower level of distortion...
Their videos have been referenced by me so many times to utilize the features this DAC offers.
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