[Dogmatrix]

From the manual:

Does this imply +13 dBu is perfectly fine to use?

I currently have mine set at -5 dBu with my studio monitors' input sensitivity turned all the way down (-20 dB). My seating position is less than a meter away so I can get away with that, but I've been wondering if anything should be changed.

Give it a try see what happens . If you get distortion back off no harm done . That passage seems to imply there is limited improvement to be had in ramping up the level though

 

[captblaze]

Give it a try see what happens . If you get distortion back off no harm done . That passage seems to imply there is limited improvement to be had in ramping up the level though

you will also get a warning on the display if you are crossing into a bad place

 

[bflat]

I just got the ADI-2 DAC. Is it normal for the power supply plug to need a very firm insertion to power the DAC? If I lightly touch the plug, the DAC will flicker on/off too. Once powered though, the plug seems to stay put as long as I don't move the DAC too much.

 

[Dogmatrix]

I just got the ADI-2 DAC. Is it normal for the power supply plug to need a very firm insertion to power the DAC? If I lightly touch the plug, the DAC will flicker on/off too. Once powered though, the plug seems to stay put as long as I don't move the DAC too much.

It is a locking type plug you have to find the keyway insert and twist to lock

 

[bflat]

It is a locking type plug you have to find the keyway insert and twist to lock

LOL, thanks! I should have expected such a great feature. Every aspect of the physical design of the AD-2 DAC is amazing.

 

[McPerk]

It is a locking type plug you have to find the keyway insert and twist to lock

Exactly, from page 7, section 5.1 of the manual:

"Socket for power connection. This socket supports locking type jacks as found on the included RME DC power supply. After inserting the connector carefully turn it by 90° so that it locks."

 

[bflat]

The power


Exactly, from page 7, section 5.1 of the manual:

"Socket for power connection. This socket supports locking type jacks as found on the included RME DC power supply. After inserting the connector carefully turn it by 90° so that it locks."

Yep, I went straight to the menu section of the manual. Did not even know locking DC plugs existed. Guess I really should start on page 1 of this very thick manual LOL.

 

[McPerk]

It's a great looking manual, especially today when everything is virtual. They spent the time to do it right. Great reading for your alone time.

 

[captblaze]

http://www.rme-audio.de/download/adi2dac_e.pdf

if you have old eyes and need to be able to zoom in, here is a link to a .pdf version of the manual

 

[Tsukuyomi]

Just a quick update fellow adi-2 dac fans. I've had mine for about 4 months now and... wow. I love this so much its like my little baby. I dont think i'll ever replace it unless it breaks but i doubt it because im babying the screw out of it lol. its never pluged into the wall directly always in a surge protector that has tones of protection from belkin. i wipe it often (dust + fingerprints).

god bless you RME! best audio product i've ever owned.

 

[Andrewteee]

This DAC is indeed pretty sweet! What other components fly under the radar? Things that are off the beaten "hifi" path or offer strong value for the money.

BTW when I bought my RME DAC from B&H it could also be purchased in combination with the Rupert Neve RNHP headphone amp, which I also have and love. I assume that is a combo that is common from B&H, so they paired them together.

 

[McPerk]

Did not even know locking DC plugs existed.

Leave it to the Germans to engineer the crap out of their products.

 

[Luckbad]

This DAC is indeed pretty sweet! What other components fly under the radar? Things that are off the beaten "hifi" path or offer strong value for the money.

I wouldn't call the RME ADI-2 DAC under the radar these days. The ADI-2 Pro was pretty under the radar, but this is a pretty active thread.

As far as other stuff that seems to be under the radar:

• SPL Phonitor X, XE, and E: Absolutely stellar solid state headphone amplifiers. I'll be publishing a review of the XE soon but need to get a version with the DAC to finish it up. This is another German pro audio company (Sound Performance Lab) that shares some of the same circles as RME. They're due to cross over into our territory here with their current Pro-Fi lineup.
• Cayin N8: I haven't heard this, but trusted sources would indicate that it's the best DAP out there right now. It doesn't get a lot of attention, perhaps because most people know of Cayin for their lower end stuff.
• Future Sonics: Underappreciated IEM company. They're pretty popular among professional musicians, but under the radar for audiophiles. My guess is that it's because their really great stuff is custom only. I love the Spectrum G10, but it's really not for most people. Their MG5HX, though, is my favorite IEM of all time. But you have to spend over $800 on a custom IEM without hearing it first.

 

[bflat]

I have a new RME ADI-2 DAC and I'm just starting to figure it out. One thing though - the sample rate is not automatically setting based on the source. I have to manually change it in MIDI on the Mac. Based on what I'm reading in the manual it should adapt automatically to the source sample rate. Any advice?

I'm using it with an iMac through Roon, Tidal and Qobuz with a Ruper Neve RNHP headphone amp. TIA!

RME can only play the sampling rate that is sent to it from the system OS. In Mac OS, the system level audio can only be set to a fixed sampling rate using MIDI setup. For auto switching to the native sample rate of each track you have to use a media player that has that feature built in. I use JRiver Media Center and the RME is able to switch to native sample rates. In fact I am burning in a mix of 44 and 48 kHz base rates so that I cover both clocks in the RME. I would assume Roon can do the same but have not used that personally.

 

[Mr B1]

I find the comments bit opposite to my experience regarding fixed sample rates:
Tidal on my Macbook Pro changes sample rate freely over USB (44.1 Hifi / 96 for MQA). For PC I use optical to have Tidal determine the sample rate (optical = external clock, usb = rme clock); only on PC+USB I'm tied down to the set sample rate.