[jamca]

The same attitude RME had to me when I kindly ask about the hand soldered cable patch. No answer, and all the threads were closed. Never got a kind answer, although I praise their Dac as I really believe it is great. I am really disappointed and I will never buy another RME product, unless MC answer and generally RME show a nicer attitude.

 

[OCC7N]

RME is known for there drivers and flat/boring sounding DAW recording hardwares, that contributes to great music production around the world...

I see RME as well engineered products, fool safe. It just works and never-die-german quality. This was beetween 2000-2015 for me. Not a single one I knew in the industry mentioned atleast as a scratch, from the firefaces etc. The ADI-2 is still as incredible, with loads of feauteres and the same flat/boring signature. It crystal sharp and on point. I have been on their forum and seen there attitude.

I think they are cool people actually, when It is actually the engineers who is talking and not some kind of PR guy who barely knows the stuff. We gotta keep in mind these people perfect according to math on their papers.

They should maybe hire some people to help translate there thoughts and make it easier, but for me I like them.

When it comes to that LPSU and the Switchables....I like my iFi Elite over some of the LPSU, so the engineers do have some points here. We dont know there mindset, they are freaking engineers

 

[gimmeheadroom]

I just had an experience on the RME forum that makes the post resonate. At least ten hours out of my life on the forums spent trying to communicate a driver defect, finally I gave up and had to phone a friend who used to work at Microsoft.

Me, embarrassed: "Should it be obvious to me what's wrong?"
Friend, bemused: "...shouldn't it be obvious to the company you paid a grand and already wrote a dozen messages to?"

Plenty of forum members were helpful, but I got the clear impression that RME expects its customers to know how to write code and be fluent in C++...but as already noted, the RME is for professionals and isn't an "audiofool" company (as Matthias, understandably, jokes). Noted

I think they (he) were surprised at the success of the RME ADI-2 DAC FS in the hifi world. Hifi is very, very different from pro audio. Many pro audio companies have somewhat similar bedside manner and expectations that don't map to the hifi customer.

 

[Nkam]

Well I got my RME ADI 2 PRO Black Edition today

so far as a headphone amp it’s meh. dull.
My Marantz HD DAC1 kicks it’s ass in that aspect big time.
The Marantz is enveloping and much more natural sounding.

the RME as a headphone amp is…..dull for lack of better words and pretty darn flat.
uninspiring.

if it doesn’t cut it as a DAC in my speaker system it’s going back

 

[jamca]

Well I got my RME ADI 2 PRO Black Edition today

so far as a headphone amp it’s meh. dull.
My Marantz HD DAC1 kicks it’s ass in that aspect big time.
The Marantz is enveloping and much more natural sounding.

the RME as a headphone amp is…..dull for lack of better words and pretty darn flat.
uninspiring.

if it doesn’t cut it as a DAC in my speaker system it’s going back

Agree that it’s amp is mediocre for headphones but it is great for iems. Also it pairs great with some hp like Hifiman Arya.

 

[Nkam]

Agree that it’s amp is mediocre for headphones but it is great for iems. Also it pairs great with some hp like Hifiman Arya.

it’s the Pro Black Edition one. Doesn’t have the small Jack for IEMs.

so disappointed. Just dull and flat.
my Marantz literally wipes the floor with it

I hope as a DAC through my speakers it does better

 

[ThEvil0nE]

I think they (he) were surprised at the success of the RME ADI-2 DAC FS in the hifi world. Hifi is very, very different from pro audio. Many pro audio companies have somewhat similar bedside manner and expectations that don't map to the hifi customer.

The DAC Fs is pretty much a dumbed down version so as to it would easily be digestible to the non pro audio market and that move have gained success for those that gained the level of success on tapping it's capability and have gained dismay for those who don not know what they're getting into with the ADI-2. You have to have some form of background or know how on how things work and are done in a pro audio level to be able to appreciate this DAC.

 

[ThEvil0nE]

Well I got my RME ADI 2 PRO Black Edition today

so far as a headphone amp it’s meh. dull.
My Marantz HD DAC1 kicks it’s ass in that aspect big time.
The Marantz is enveloping and much more natural sounding.

the RME as a headphone amp is…..dull for lack of better words and pretty darn flat.
uninspiring.

if it doesn’t cut it as a DAC in my speaker system it’s going back

You can undull it. The amp section is for convenience, it is adequate in some level but less to be desired. The rack mount Crane Song Solaris has a way better amp section but is still implemented as convenience.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

The DAC Fs is pretty much a dumbed down version so as to it would easily be digestible to the non pro audio market

No, it's not. And anyway we're talking about the attitudes and expectations in the pro audio marketplace, not the gear.

 

[ThEvil0nE]

No, it's not. And anyway we're talking about the attitudes and expectations in the pro audio marketplace, not the gear.

In that case, nope, those two camps usually don't mix and go along well.

 

[Nkam]

You can undull it. The amp section is for convenience, it is adequate in some level but less to be desired. The rack mount Crane Song Solaris has a way better amp section but is still implemented as convenience.

im just gonna go for another DAC which has a discreet analog output stage.
the only DAC I heard that was half decent with op amps was the Benchmark DAC3.
but that was a bit flat and dry as well

the Marantz is lush , natural sounding and enveloping.

 

[emilsoft]

it’s the Pro Black Edition one. Doesn’t have the small Jack for IEMs.

so disappointed. Just dull and flat.
my Marantz literally wipes the floor with it

I hope as a DAC through my speakers it does better

As an amplifier to drive full sized difficult loads it's not great imo, it's not an issue of power but what seems too many cheap opamps in parallel giving off glare and flattening dynamics (a discrete circuit would be much better). With EQ I can play my HD800S for a bit though - as some of the positives of the dac stage still come through.

However, for IEMs the DAC fs series is absolutely stellar out of it's 3.5mm - if you're a heavy IEM user then you might want to consider replacing with this one. I haven't heard anything better with IEMs; it's warm, wide, clear, and incredibly defined but without the glare. The Mojo 2 with high quality usb to optical bridge comes close if not equal (separation not as good). I don't know what they did with the 3.5mm output but it's the best thing (for IEMs) since sliced bread.

 

[emilsoft]

im just gonna go for another DAC which has a discreet analog output stage.
the only DAC I heard that was half decent with op amps was the Benchmark DAC3.
but that was a bit flat and dry as well

the Marantz is lush , natural sounding and enveloping.

The Marantz is a bit smoothed over - on first listen it's pleasurable but the added definition and realism from the RME (with better headamp) can be difficult to unhear. As an AIO though Crane Song Solaris might be better option with it's discrete headamp (but you don't get the EQ).

You might also consider Mojo 2 with Poly (or even better a good usb to optical bridge) which imo is a touch more lush and organic vs RME and betters it for full size headphones due to it's discrete amp (+ you get a nice but less flexible dsp EQ).. All the more impressive considering it's cigarette pack size.

IMO the RME seems to be better suited for nearfield speaker listening. It's flattens the stage a bit, but with nearfields that's not a problem, and it's smooth mids and detail highlights make for an almost architectural drawing reconstruction of the audio and in close proximity it makes listening both pleasurable and analytical but not shouty.

 

[ThEvil0nE]

im just gonna go for another DAC which has a discreet analog output stage.
the only DAC I heard that was half decent with op amps was the Benchmark DAC3.
but that was a bit flat and dry as well

the Marantz is lush , natural sounding and enveloping.

You can never find what you are looking for in pro audio gear, totally different concept from that of hifi.

 

[Nkam]

The Marantz is a bit smoothed over - on first listen it's pleasurable but the added definition and realism from the RME (with better headamp) can be difficult to unhear. As an AIO though Crane Song Solaris might be better option with it's discrete headamp (but you don't get the EQ).

You might also consider Mojo 2 with Poly (or even better a good usb to optical bridge) which imo is a touch more lush and organic vs RME and betters it for full size headphones due to it's discrete amp (+ you get a nice but less flexible dsp EQ).. All the more impressive considering it's cigarette pack size.

IMO the RME seems to be better suited for nearfield speaker listening. It's flattens the stage a bit, but with nearfields that's not a problem, and it's smooth mids and detail highlights make for an almost architectural drawing reconstruction of the audio and in close proximity it makes listening both pleasurable and analytical but not shouty.

i tried the Mojo2 it was good. But I honestly didn’t find it better than the Marantz. The Marantz isn’t smoothed over at all actually. Many say that of the DAc. It doesn’t have the traditional Marantz smoothed over sound.
the Mojo 2 was good but didn’t have the weight of instruments that the Marantz does and timbre.
i liked the Mojo1 a bit more to be honest.