[Slaphead]

Just to be clear, are you saying, Chord TT2 or Dave sound artificial?

I've heard the Dave, Mojo and Hugo2, but not the TT2, but in all honesty yes, but then again all my gear is pro audio based, so it may be just a case of what sounds more real to me.

 

[bidn]

I think what a lot of people miss is that the ADI-2 DAC isn't really aimed at the readership of this forum, although it's good that so many people like it.

It is a professional audio interface without the ADC functionality, and with a sonic signature designed to be as flat and as detailed as possible so that producers, mixing engineers and mastering engineers can make accurate decisions on the final musical product.

With that in mind I can believe that a lot of people find it not so punchy, or a bit thin in some circumstances. For me this sound signature is fantastic. I've not yet come across an audio interface that lays it out like this one, and it enables me to produce as a hobby knowing that whatever I do will work well with other listening gear.

Personally I don't like "HiFi" sounding gear like Chord or Audeze - it sounds artificial to me. Pleasant and musical, but ultimately lacking in realism from my point of view - I couldn't work with products from either brand. That said I do understand people who enjoy that flavour.

So with that in mind, if you're somebody looking for a device that will reveal everything, warts and all, then the RME ADI-2 will do that superbly. However if you're looking for something a bit more "HiFi" and coloured then "this is not the droid you're looking for".

Hi Slaphead,

I agree with your general ideas, and find it very right that you stress that the RME products belong to the pro audio world, unlike many products on this site.

"High-Fidelity", as the name says, means realism, neutrality. So, by this definition, products like RME ADI-2 DAC are actually truly High Fidelity, much more than most products here which are rather "audiophile" in the sense of "euphonic".

I think that the "audiophile" word is responsible for a lot of confusion.
It means only someone who likes audio a lot (thus would be ready to invest a lot of time and money for it). It was first coined in France, and was originally used for people looking after high fidelity (i.e. what the pro audio world like RME strives to). The problem is that the "audiophile" word is not synonymous with high-fidelity and was soon used by companies producing expensive products with a euphonic presentation, i.e. definitely not neutral, more pleasing than in reality, but then not high-fidelity.
So some people unconsciously use "audiophile" in the sense of high-fidelity while other use it with the opposite sense (euphonic) and some others are even inconsistent with themselves, alternating between the two perspectives (sometime meaning high-fidelity, sometimes meaning euphonic).

I think that you nailed a nice example with Audeze, I own several of their products of their LCD series, they are definitely not neutral, but I find their presentation often more pleasant for listening to metal music than a realist one (metal uses all the frequency range, the electric guitar can be quite fatiguing, but my Audeze LCDs help here with their large dip in the low treble), though I strive for neutrality. One most extreme case for me is the LCD-4, I auditioned several times some of them at my dealer,, once with the intent of purchasing it, yet it was so far off from neutrality that it was far beyond what I could accept. And yet it is very expensive (€ 5000 here in Europe!) and many audiophiles absolutely love its sound.

Re. solid-state DAC-amps I auditioned, an example of products in my experience which are rather euphonic [edit: was audiophile] than high-fidelity would be Questyle's, as opposed to RME's. I find them artificially thickening the sound, a bit like tube amps usually do.

Re. Chord products (owning a Mojo, and having auditioned several times the Hugo 2 and many times the Dave which I find fantastic for driving the Utopia), to me they sound neutral, but I also have a feeling as if they would embellish the sound, I can't explain it nor find a fault, it eludes me. (In general I absolutely hate their design and find them very unpractical, with a ugly, irritating color system, often lacking essential things like a volume knob or sometimes not being stackable like the Dave, etc.).

I often saw people arguing because they mean different things. It would be better if they would clarify whether they are speaking from a high-fidelity or from a euphonic [edit: was audiophile] perspective.

All the best and keep healthy,
bidn

[EDIT 26.03.2020 : I changed at some places "audiophile" into "euphonic", to make a clearer contrast with "High Fidelity"]

 

[Mutsu]

I think what a lot of people miss is that the ADI-2 DAC isn't really aimed at the readership of this forum, although it's good that so many people like it.

It is a professional audio interface without the ADC functionality, and with a sonic signature designed to be as flat and as detailed as possible so that producers, mixing engineers and mastering engineers can make accurate decisions on the final musical product.

With that in mind I can believe that a lot of people find it not so punchy, or a bit thin in some circumstances. For me this sound signature is fantastic. I've not yet come across an audio interface that lays it out like this one, and it enables me to produce as a hobby knowing that whatever I do will work well with other listening gear.

Personally I don't like "HiFi" sounding gear like Chord or Audeze - it sounds artificial to me. Pleasant and musical, but ultimately lacking in realism from my point of view - I couldn't work with products from either brand. That said I do understand people who enjoy that flavour.

So with that in mind, if you're somebody looking for a device that will reveal everything, warts and all, then the RME ADI-2 will do that superbly. However if you're looking for something a bit more "HiFi" and coloured then "this is not the droid you're looking for".

I agree. Actually one of the draws for me to the ADI-2 DAC was the flat frequency response, I could really tell the difference from auditioning it with my headphones against other 'hifi' dac/amps.

I've also got EQ set up to use with my Empyreans for Harmon Target, this seems to elevate the treble frequencies on the Empyrean but the it still sounds well rounded.

Previously I had owned desktop studio monitors and loved the flat response, but these were also well rounded and punchy.

I'm wondering if my speakers aren't the best for gear with a flat response, or if I need to try room correction. As I do think I like a flat response based on previous experience.

 

[Mutsu]

Re. Chord products (owning a Mojo, and having auditioned several times the Hugo 2 and many time the Dave which I find fantastic for driving the Utopia), to me they sound neutral, but I also have a feeling as if they would embellish the sound, I can't explain it nor find a fault, it eludes me. (In general I absolutely hate their design and find them very unpractical, with a ugly, irritating color system, often lacking essential things like a volume knob or sometimes not being stackable like the Dave, etc.).

I auditioned the Hugo 2 a couple of times against the ADI-2 (and others), and out of all the Dac/amp combos I tried, the Hugo 2 and the ADI-2 sounded most similar to me. But I agree there is something extra embellishing the sound on the Hugo 2, only very very slightly to my ears, but noticeable. The ADI-2 was half the price and sounded just as good, plus had more features, so it was an easy decision for me to go with the ADI-2.

And yea, I'm not a fan of the Chord designs too.

 

[alexdemaet]

You would need an amp with 2x balanced headphone outputs.

Or two amps with balanced headphone outputs, and an XLR splitter like this: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/YXM121--hosa-yxm-121-y-cable-xlr3f-to-dual-xlr3m-6-inch (Never personally used one so might want to double check what the cable does to line voltage)

Or, you can toggle your RME to "Mute Line OFF" and have one balanced headphone plugged into the 789, and another directly into your RME ADI-2 Phones output via an adapter like this: https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=4768 (I use this type of cable frequently to convert my balanced headphone cables into 1/4")

Does anyone know if the Cardas Sennheiser HD6xx cable is balanced? From Moon-Audio I read "You can convert a balanced connection back to single ended. This is not a problem at all as long as your main headphone cable is balanced, then you can add an adapter cable. "
http://cardas.com/headphone_cable.php

 

[gimmeheadroom]

<REDACTED>

 

[cazone]

Just received a rme adi-2 dac and a hifiman sundara as a rescue homeoffice quarantaine setup.
Really like it so far

 

[CaptainFantastic]

Congrats man. Stay safe and stay positive. The ADI-2 is a treat. If you haven't already, look up on Youtube the excellent 5 minute videos on how to set your EQ profiles for multiple headphones, etc. They are posted directly by RME and an easier introduction to the rich features than the manual.

 

[Dogmatrix]

Does anyone know if the Cardas Sennheiser HD6xx cable is balanced? From Moon-Audio I read "You can convert a balanced connection back to single ended. This is not a problem at all as long as your main headphone cable is balanced, then you can add an adapter cable. "
http://cardas.com/headphone_cable.php

Yes it is "4 x 23.5 AWG conductors" as long as you have four conductors at the plug end it is balanced . You will need balanced plug however , either four pin xlr or two three pin xlr or two mono .

 

[alexdemaet]

Yes it is "4 x 23.5 AWG conductors" as long as you have four conductors at the plug end it is balanced . You will need balanced plug however , either four pin xlr or two three pin xlr or two mono .

Thanks , I also mailed Cardas and Moon-Audio for more info

 

[betula]

Out of interest guys, how many of you are using an external amp with the ADI2 for headphone listening?
If I could read some impressions mentioning your headphone and amp choice or the reason you don't need an amp that would be great.
Many thanks!

 

[CaptainFantastic]

Out of interest guys, how many of you are using an external amp with the ADI2 for headphone listening?
If I could read some impressions mentioning your headphone and amp choice or the reason you don't need an amp that would be great.
Many thanks!

In 15 months of ownership I tried mine with the Gilmore Lite Mk2 and found that I preferred it without. This was based on testing with the low impedance Audeze MX-4 and the high impedance HD-600. As I recall, the Mk2 added some minor but immediately audible harshness to the sound.

I have now ordered a tube amp, Woo Audio WA3, as I understand it will pair well with the 300 ohm headphones which I currently own and will potentially acquire this year. I will report back once I get the WA3 and test it.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Out of interest guys, how many of you are using an external amp with the ADI2 for headphone listening?
If I could read some impressions mentioning your headphone and amp choice or the reason you don't need an amp that would be great.
Many thanks!

I am for some headphones and not others. For me the ADI-2 drives my Audezes well/extremely and my Fostex perfectly. Also HD 25 as expected.

I was not happy with it driving my Sennheisers (600, 800). I don't listen to them out of the RME at all anymore, usually they're connected to a V280 driven by a Mytek Brooklyn balanced all the way.

 

[screwdriver]

i might just try out this dac soon maybe after the covid stuff if im still alive LOL . i wanna make the system simple -im coming from from oppo 105 to rhnp to focal clears

 

[PointyFox]

The ADI-2 DAC drives my HD800S well.