[marantzaux1212]

Hello guys, i currently have yamaha as301,kef q300, bladelius dac and a ifi nano idsd bl for PC-FI. Looking to upgrade a new dac/headphone amp and also preamp for my current system. Do you think it will work as a decent preamp and dac/headphone amp at the same time? i would run mainly on headphone amp most of the time but i also want to use as a preamp. Im a newbie and not sure if this is a good investement. I will be using HD650 and sony xm3. Thanks

Its a very expensive equipment so i just want to make sure if it will have significant difference over ifi nan idsd and grace design m900.(Im also looking in to grace design m900).

 

[gimmeheadroom]

The RME DAC is probably impossible to beat for quality and features anywhere near the price. But, it doesn't do MQA and it does not drive 300 ohm Sennheisers very well.

Not sure what you mean when you say preamp and dacamp at the same time. When you plug headphones or earphones in, it switches off the RCA and XLR outputs. You can listen to either headphones/earphones or use the back panel outputs, not both at the same time.

 

[marantzaux1212]

The RME DAC is probably impossible to beat for quality and features anywhere near the price. But, it doesn't do MQA and it does not drive 300 ohm Sennheisers very well.

Not sure what you mean when you say preamp and dacamp at the same time. When you plug headphones or earphones in, it switches off the RCA and XLR outputs. You can listen to either headphones/earphones or use the back panel outputs, not both at the same time.

thanks for the reply. So would you recommend purchasing rme adi 2 dac mainly for dac,headphone amp? You mentioned it wont do MQA and drive 300ohm sennheisers, will that mean you wouldnt recommend purchasing it? I just have so many questions because im audio newbie. Thank you.

 

[PointyFox]

I use my ADI-2 DAC specifically FOR 300 Ohm Sennheisers. Sounds good to me.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Everything always depends how much interest you have, how much money you have, and what equipment you have. There is more than that, but those three are a good start.

The RME is a wonderful DAC. It has a steep learning curve and it's finicky to set up. That is because of how much control it gives you over the sound. I recommend it highly as a DAC, if you don't need MQA. I don't recommend it highly as a dacamp, but it is not unusual that dacamps have trouble bringing the best out of certain headphones.

There are plenty of headphones it drives beautifully. Sennheisers are not one of them.

If you are a dedicated Sennheiser guy you will want a standalone amp, probably tube OTL. You can use the amp with any source including the RME.

If you want MQA, you have to decide how much you want to spend.

 

[marantzaux1212]

thanks for the reply. So would you recommend purchasing rme adi 2 dac mainly for dac,headphone amp? You mentioned it wont do MQA and drive 300ohm sennheisers, will that mean you wouldnt recommend purchasing it? I just have so many questions because im audio newbie. Thank you.

how good is the sound? I want it to be best in the class, i know 1250 price tag is nothing compare to other high ends audio but i wanna make sure theres a big difference after spending that kind of money.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

People can split hairs over different types of DACs whether they like analytical, musical, etc. To me the RME falls into the musical category. It is certainly the best in class anywhere near the price. There is a huge thread here you can read. https://www.head-fi.org/threads/rme-adi-2-dac-thread.868015/

 

[marantzaux1212]

Everything always depends how much interest you have, how much money you have, and what equipment you have. There is more than that, but those three are a good start.

The RME is a wonderful DAC. It has a steep learning curve and it's finicky to set up. That is because of how much control it gives you over the sound. I recommend it highly as a DAC, if you don't need MQA. I don't recommend it highly as a dacamp, but it is not unusual that dacamps have trouble bringing the best out of certain headphones.

There are plenty of headphones it drives beautifully. Sennheisers are not one of them.

If you are a dedicated Sennheiser guy you will want a standalone amp, probably tube OTL. You can use the amp with any source including the RME.

If you want MQA, you have to decide how much you want to spend.

My budget would be max 1250 and i want it to be worth every penny and dime.If theres other good option for amp/dac for that price please let me know!

Does MQA supported dac makes huge difference over none MQA? i currently have ifi nano idsd and it supports MQA but its in a different league. My budget is tight and i cant add amps at the moment but mabye in the future.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

I guess the RME must have a better headamp than a portable device, so it will be an improvement. It will not show you what your 650s are capable of.

Everything is a compromise, most people don't have bottomless budgets. I can't see regretting buying the RME. You can always add other pieces later.

 

[canfabulous]

The RME is an awesome peace of kit. It depends upon the sound you like, but it can be a touch analytical and dry sounding compared to other amps (in my opinion). The good thing is that you are getting superb DAC performance that can also drive both headphones and IEMs and you can tweak that by adding a separate amp for a more euphoric experience. I agonised over RME vs Chord Qutest as a desktop DAC (performance is apparently on par), and the RME has way more features for a cheaper price. I don't think you'd regret it.

 

[marantzaux1212]

I guess the RME must have a better headamp than a portable device, so it will be an improvement. It will not show you what your 650s are capable of.

Everything is a compromise, most people don't have bottomless budgets. I can't see regretting buying the RME. You can always add other pieces later.

Thanks for reply again. So adding a decent amp in the future will do the work? What kinda headphone amp do you recommend? i listen to all genres but mainly hip pop,pop,edm, some jazz and classical.

 

[marantzaux1212]

I guess the RME must have a better headamp than a portable device, so it will be an improvement. It will not show you what your 650s are capable of.

Everything is a compromise, most people don't have bottomless budgets. I can't see regretting buying the RME. You can always add other pieces later.

Thanks for reply. i think i will go with RME and upgrade head amp in the future. i havent got headphones yet, but leaning towards HD650. Is there any headphone u recommend pairing with RME?

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Thanks for reply again. So adding a decent amp in the future will do the work? What kinda headphone amp do you recommend? i listen to all genres but mainly hip pop,pop,edm, some jazz and classical.

See how you feel about the RME and get used to it for a while before spending more money. There is no shortage of wallet-draining amps

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Thanks for reply. i think i will go with RME and upgrade head amp in the future. i havent got headphones yet, but leaning towards HD650. Is there any headphone u recommend pairing with RME?

Audeze LCD-2C is killer out of the RME. Would work great for every kind of music you listed except classical. Not terrible for classical though.

 

[marantzaux1212]

Thanks for reply again. So adding a decent amp in the future will do the work? What kinda headphone amp do you recommend? i listen to all genres but mainly hip pop,pop,edm, some jazz and classical.

I guess the RME must have a better headamp than a portable device, so it will be an improvement. It will not show you what your 650s are capable of.

Everything is a compromise, most people don't have bottomless budgets. I can't see regretting buying the RME. You can always add other pieces later.

I havent purchase HD650 But do you have any other recommendation for RME?