ADI-2 DAC FS

Nice little DAC. It's fairly solidly built but not quite heavy enough. For a piece of equipment this expensive, I don't appreciate it when the whole left side gets pushed backward by the amount of force it takes to activate the power button with a finger. It's the same idea as laptops - it shouldn't take enough force to lift up the whole computer when you're opening the screen, but I digress... Sound quality is excellent and even better it has a "loudness" function similar to what you used to see in the 70s and 80s on hi-fi receivers. RME says this function is intended for low volume listening, but It really makes listening to older or less dynamic recordings more fun at any volume. There are also adjustments for Bass and Treble which can be activated alone or in combination with Loudness. Lots of room to really enhance the sound to your preference. I haven't seen another DAC with these features. The RME is feature-rich and comes with a manual the size of a paperback book (although there are numerous pages devoted to other languages). It took me several hours to get through it all and I still don't think I understand all of the different things you can do with it. Professional grade equipment, IMO. The headphone amplifier is also *very good* and has been reviewed favorably at audiosciencereview . com for its sheer power compared to other headphone amps, some costing much more than this - plus you're getting the best DAC ASIC on the market, so win-win. I have also tried the In Ear Monitor (IEM) jack with a pair of relatively cheap IEMs I got on Amazon and it's great, but the cord isn't very long so I'd have to sit down on the floor in front of the unit if I wanted to use them more often. If you're buying some IEMs for use with this product, I recommend looking into some type of extension cord unless you'll be keeping the RME on a desktop. The remote is very functional and a step up over the previous model (RME didn't re-name the ADI-2 DAC FS when they quietly upgraded the DAC ASIC from the AKM 4490 to the 4493 mid-production in 2019 or 2020) which had a remote with fewer buttons and functions. When I purchased this in June of 2020 the price was $1149. I really don't see why the price would go up by over $130 in a year's time even with the pandemic and possible higher shipping costs and/or worker shortages. If anything the price should be coming down as other companies release competitive products and other DAC ASIC manufacturers (SABRE for example) continue to tweak and develop higher end chips of their own (and in fact AKM now touts the 4499 as their flagship DAC, so RME should consider upgrading if they're going to charge this much). Other than the new price, my only minor complaint is the lack of MQA support, but as an engineer I am still skeptical of that "technology" insofar as being useful for anything other than protecting copyrights on certain artists/recordings/studios. The fact of the matter is that MQA *is* a lossy codec, and I've owned other DACs with the capability including very expensive ones and not noticed any real difference through higher end headphones (AKG K-712), IEMs or high resolution loudspeakers like the JBL synthesis series. All in all, if you've got $1300 to spend on a DAC, you could do a lot worse than this, but others are catching up. Again, the build quality (made in Germany) is excellent. The display can be switched between a "graphics equalizer", plain volume and several other useful screens full of data. The user interface can be intimidating at first, but once I set it, I basically forget it and only play with the volume, loudness and bass/treble when listening to music. Rated 9/10 for build, functionality and sound quality; 5/10 for the increasing price without any added features. REVISION: I see that the price has fallen back to its original ~$1000 range. For this price, you can't go wrong. Don't pay attention to anyone saying that the only people who like this DAC are stepping up from less expensive models. That's hogwash. I 'downgraded' to this DAC from a top of the line ESS and a PS Audio reference DAC and this is a far better value with better sound. Also ignore reviews that try to pin the popularity of this DAC on one subjective audiophile reviewer like Darko. The ADI-2 v.2 has been tested rigorously at audiosciencereview . com and it is objectively better than NUMEROUS more expensive DACs with lower distortion and a very powerful headphone amp capable of driving difficult, low impedance phones.

I bought this DAC for my home office desktop audiophile system for my PC and Mac. Here is the configuration: 1)Digital Streamer: WiiM Streamer (connected to DAC using optical audio cable). 2)Computer: PC and Mac (connected to DAC using USB audio (midi) cable). 3)DAC: RME ADI2DACFS (Connected to amplifier using RCA cable) 4)Amplifier: Audiolab 6000a (connected to speakers using banana speaker cables). 5)Speakers: KEF LS50 meta First, the negative which everyone should be aware, this DAC comes with ESS 9028Q2M (NOT AKM 4493) because the AKM factory caught fire two years ago and the AKM 4493 is not available. This fact is not reflected in Amazon, but there is a youtube channel (produced by RME) that explains why a DAC chip change had to be made and how ESS 9028Q2M is "as good" as AKM4493. I don't completely buy it because industry insiders know each DAC chipsets have their own distinctive sound. Plus, ESS9029Q2M is actually a lower end of ESS mobile DAC chip whereas AKM 4493 is little higher end. The fact that RME had originally chosen AKM 4493 (which is little more expensive than ESS 9028Q2M) says a lot. Having said all this, this DAC is fantastic. It has low distortion, very meaty sound, high detailed resolution, and customization galore. I am convinced this DAC could be the best audio equipment you could buy for under $1500 which would make a HUGE difference to your audio system. Previously, I had Cambridge Audio DACMAGIC 200M DAC, which I was satisfied with until I had noticed a significant distortion at higher volume and sampling rates. I was OK with it, but I wanted something that would allow me to listen without the slight ringing in my ear. I decided to take the plunge and buy this DAC which had cost 2.5X more than my DacMagic 200M. I was delighted when I heard the RME DAC for the first time. This RME DAC is a superior to DacMagic 200M in every way. The sound is more detailed, it is fuller (with more meat on it), it has a wider sound stage, and best of all, the distortion is MUCH lower. The RME DAC is also far more customizable. I did play around with different bit\sampling rate to get the best sound quality/distortion possible. RME provides a nice driver for both PC and MAC which I recommend every one to use. The driver allows me to set both the bit rate (16 or 24) and sampling rate (it can go very high). After trying various settings, I have found the sound quality to distortion ratio is, for me, best at 24bit\48hz sampling rate. I also set the RME DAC to use the "NOS" filter which seems to work the best for me. As many others had mentioned, this DAC is highly customizable and understanding all the setting does take some practice and time. Finally, if you have an older but quality audio system, and you would like to upgrade your digital music, then I HIGHLY recommend this DAC and plug it in, via USB, from a high quality music lossless Music source. It will breathe new life into your older audio system. Pros: 1)This DAC can unsuck your audio system if you listen to digital music. 2)Best under $1500 investment you can make for your audio system. 3)Sound is detailed, meaty, wide, and high. The sound has that "wow" factor. 4)You can customize the DAC filters, EQ, headphones, etc. This DAC can work with any musical tastes and preferences. 5)Both headphone amps are of very high quality with high degree of customization. Cons: 1)The DAC chipset is ESS 9028Q2M (not AKM 4493). 2)The customization is nice but also entails high degree of complexity. If you are not into configuring machines, then perhaps a simpler DAC would be better. 3)Headphone, although very good, is not quite as fantastic as the DAC.

amazing DAC RME does it up by getting the most out of the dac chip> presenting it i a way to adjust everything you can think of and more>>> why did I return it. my setup requires the dac to sit close to my poweramp. although it has a remote most of the adjustments to sound need to be done on this unit while you can reach the physical unit. It displays the realtime the actual 20-20k content level of every frequency. this is not just novel but useful. but for me the setup location separated me from this fine tuning. well made not plastic very very well made exterior.... xlr output a must for me does have rca as well .. if you running window it has a seperate usb driver to install if your plan on using usb as source. which i did use. making possible the pc do tidal unfold mqa tidal master files. I also have iphone media adapter to usb . This actually was the best sound of any other input including optical for pc tv or roku. the unit display real time the resolution and the bit rate.Using this iPhone setup to the actual source. Once you actually hear the high sample rates of your source. ( if your source material isn't high res forget it) minute content is revelaed. very emersive with the high res contect. I would place it in the "transparently accurate" camp. for reference I have a Byston 4bsst3 500watt into 4ohm amp and Magnepan 1.7i speakers. This RME demands great gear it worked my system at various sound levels. it maps the input level to drive the unit perfectly for the lowest distortion. It has many presets you can save of its great unique parametric eq. I used it to save setting to a remote accessible buttons. my son wanted to buy it off me he's a high end headphone user. in close proximity to the RME he see's no down side. amazon ship both dac ship versions mine was the newer chip version. lasly if you have 1200 and change for a DAC> this is the best if you want your DAC in close proximity to you to make the fine adjustment it s capable of. my setup its accross the room i returned it in exactly how it cam out of the box. amazon credited me the entire amount. remotes usable for mute volume and presets. i returned it was ONLY FOR location issue for my setup I'm testing now. the Cambridge Audio CXN V2 Stereo Network Streamer. bought from amazon i'll make my comment on it later on May

I was about to buy a Chord Qutest but wanted balanced outputs. I started looking around and found a YouTube reference to the RME as "Qutest killer." Based on a number of reviews, the RME seemed to be sonically comparable with the Chord, but with far more flexibility and options. Like the Chord it has a small footprint for my small desk. I have it matched with a Drop THX AAA 789 amp, and I am quite pleased. The RME is a very articulate and discerning amp/DAC. Warning: there is a frustration factor as the excited engineers who created this unit use engineer language to explain what and why they provided each element. The user manual is immense and needs to be simplified. The ADI-2 DAC FS is essentially pro equipment, and I am not a pro. It took persistence to figure out that I needed to download a driver and updater tool for it to be recognized by my PC and be ready to configure. Then it took a bit of tinkering with the buttons and software to figure out how to change settings in my JRiver software to get hi rez music to play. Stumbling through, I essentially made the JRiver a pass-through, and the sound dramatically improved for cd quality and HD began to finally play. Net, I am not an engineer....not even close....so it took some persistence and patience. The reward is still unfolding but I am already feeling quite wise for purchasing this as a DAC. It is technically an amp/dac, but a nice amp will assist in driving more resistant cans with serious punch. Anyway, it is a steal. A straightforward, uncolored sound against a quiet background. If you want better performance you are going to have to part with significantly more cash. Update: I was surprised to discover that as a stand alone amp-dac, the RME is stunning. Listening to classical now with Sennheiser 6xx's, it sounds excellent. Clear, quick, and transparent with plenty of punch. I noticed that I was switching back to the RME from my external amps (Drop THZX AAA 789 and Geshelli) when i wanted greater transparency. I am really pleased with this purchase. Most highly recommended. Update 2: I replaced my ancient PC laptop with a new Dell desk computer and the Dell detected and configured the RME via a few prompts. A very pleasant surprise. It was painless. So my initial problem configuring the RME is traceable to an outdated computer, not to the RME.

Unbelievable! RME's engineers are probably some of the best in the business. This is what you call a PROFESSIONAL piece of audio equipment. Most companies slap on the best AKM or ESS chip that they can get their hands on, then slap some op-amps and resistors and call it a day. RME doesn't do that. They spend years in development and testing....they focus on EVERYTHING. Don't get me wrong, they use the highest quality chips, but they pay attention to the quality of the capacitors, soldering material, and more importantly, the output stage. Even their input and output jacks are super-high quality, and the way they're soldered is top-shelf. RME focuses on the details, and that's why their devices measure insanely impressively. You have to remember, chips need to be programmed and their programming is probably best in the business. This has to be the cleanest, most natural, and most meaty sound I've ever heard. That's the best way to describe this DAC....the sound is meaty! The loudness feature is a gem. It brings my studio monitors to life at low-volume without coloring the sound. I have no idea how they do it, but man...this is the real deal. I'm sticking with RME for the rest of my life.

Sounds amazing! I was skeptical as to whether a high-end DAC/AMP would make a difference compared to my FiiO BRT5 (a $100 DAC/AMP). I decided I had nothing to lose and purchased this amp. Testing it on my Sennheiser IE 900 IEMs, the difference is truly substantial! Obviously we're talking diminishing returns here, but as someone new to the audio game, I could tell there was a positive difference. Music simply sounds more clear: it is somehow easier to hear details. Music sounds more spacious and more refined. Overall listening is just more enjoyable compared to my FiiO BTR5. I also love that I can quickly add a touch of bass or treble with the side knobs, and the animations on the screen are extremely smooth and satisfying. I have taken off a star for a humming/buzzing coming from the unit (search this up on Google, this seems to be a common issue for new units with the ESS chip). The humming sound changes in tone depending on the brightness of the LCD screen and is audible when wearing open-back headphones. I got a replacement unit from Amazon, but the humming on the replacement was 2-3x louder than the original. Unfortunately, the humming sound pretty much defeats the purpose of a low noise floor. As a result, I have returned the unit. I have no idea how this made it past a basic quality check, and seems unacceptable for a $1000+ DAC/AMP. If you use IEMs or closed-back headphones though, this shouldn't be an issue.

This is an incredible piece of gear. The build quality is great, downright overbuilt. All the buttons and knobs feel fantastic to the touch. The screen is nice and bright - not very high-res, but it doesn’t need to be. The DAC is jam-packed with all the features you could ever need. The parametric EQ is incredible, 5 bands and several profile slots so you can switch between headphones. The loudness feature sounds good, but I had to tone it down a bit. This is all just scratching the surface, as the very long (but well-explained) manual will show you. It’s definitely not easy to use, but with so many features it needs to be complicated. It’ll work great with default settings though. I can’t attest to the quality of the amp, since I’m using an external one… but people online say this will handle any headphones you can throw at it with no problem.

I use my RME ADI-2 DAC FS in the following ways: 1) as part of a music streaming solution, when connected to my laptop or iPad via USB and streaming hi-res audio from my Qobuz account; 2) as a headphone amplifier, where I have used the RME's built-in 5-band parametric EQ to equalize the frequency response of my headphones to match the Harman curve (the sound quality improvement was quite noticeable). Using the crossfeed feature that seamlessly blends a bit of the signal for each side of the headphone into the signal for the other side also helped; 3) As a pre-amp via XLR balanced outputs to my stereo power amplifier. The RME's sound quality is detailed yet natural. The soundstage is not the deepest, however. Noise is non-existent. This unit is built like a tank, the controls have a very premium feel, and every single feature is well thought out and implemented flawlessly. The spectral analyzer display that dances as your music plays is quite mesmerizing. This is simply an amazing unit.

This Dac is a masterpiece, transparent, very revealing, and it allows you to EQ your speakers and headphones, crossfeed make headphones sound more natural, highly recommend for professionals and audiophiles who want the best.

ADI-2 DAC FS version ESS, neuf dans une boîte scellée. J'ai juste eu besoin de mettre à jour le micrologiciel.

prodotto del mondo Professionale e come tale è versatile al 100 per cento ma ovviamente come plug and play va benissimo in più con il suo controllo da ipad o pc vi semplifica la vita. Suono: neutro come si addice ad un apparecchio pro, non ci mette niente di suo ,se volete ce lo mettete voi. A questo prezzo vi portate a casa convertitore,equalizzatore , amplificatore cuffie e pre,fate voi.Per la recensione completa ed entusiastica su youtube trovate tutto (Darko Audio o Audio2G) e comunque è un ottimo apparecchio.

This is an excellent DAC, especially at this price. It’s professional gear, but you can just plug it in between your digital source and your amplifier and enjoy wonderful sound. The remote has bass and treble controls, as well as adjustable left/right balance. You may not think you need or would ever stoop to use such controls, but once you get used to them you will be surprised how much they can improve sub-par recordings. If you search this product name along with ‘schneider’, you will find a short and complete description of the unit and also a link to independent test results which are startlingly good. Should you want to delve deeper into the professional adjustments possible with this thoroughly thought-out interface, you should check the manual that comes with it for the exact version number. Many of the descriptions on the web, including RME’s own tutorials, are based on different versions of the firmware, and you can be easily led astray, as they never mention exactly which firmware version they are demonstrating. And Amazon is the only place you can buy and try and return if you are not happy! I am very happy that I bought this DAC, but less than happy that I received an obviously used item - remote package ripped open, remote activated, sticker regarding power input removed and put back in the wrong place, etc.. Despite the Amazon listing which says. “Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days”, when I tried to get it replaced with a new, unopened unit I ran into some difficulty. The first person I spoke to said “Sure, no problem” and put me on hold, only to come back and say that he was transferring me to somebody in a special department. This new person, who couldn’t even read the name of the item correctly from the Amazon listing, took my information and then informed me that because this is a "high value" item, they wouldn’t do an exchange but that I could return it. She gave me the impression that she was dubious about my claim that I had received a used item, and said it was listed on Amazon’s inventory as “new”. Another review here says that he received a used item, so my experience is not unique. The follow-up e-mail I received did not include the name of the person who sent it — unusual in my experience, as whenever I have had to contact Amazon by phone, the person I’ve spoken with has been ultra polite, friendly and helpful, and the follow-up e-mail always contains their name. So I bought a new one from Amazon, and when it arrived, returned the used one without any problem. This DAC replaces the DAC in my Grace Design m920, which I now use as a preamp. I continue to marvel at how good the RME is — and Amazon’s price is now lower than what I originally paid, making it more of a bargain.

Wenn ich zuhause Musik über Kopfhörer hören wollte, habe ich bis vor kurzem noch meinen Beyerdynamic T1-2 direkt an den symmetrischen Ausgang meines portablen Musikplayers Fiio M11 pro angeschlossen. Das funktionierte zufriedenstellend, aber die Kraft des Fiio reichte so gerade eben aus für die 600 Ohm des T1. Ich hatte den M15 schon bestellt, aber dann las ich zufällig einen Artikel über den RME ADI-2 DAC FS. Die Auslieferung des M15 verzögerte sich, und so nahm ich die Gelegenheit wahr, die Bestellung zu stornieren und stattdessen den RME zu bestellen. Ich betreibe ihn an einem Raspberry Pi 3 mit HiFiBerry Digi+ Pro, den ich als Roon-Bridge nutze. Fangen wir mal mit der Bedienungsanleitung an: Die wird als zwei mal 70 Seiten (deutsch, englisch) dickes Buch in Spiralbindung mitgeliefert! Nicht nur vom Umfang, sondern auch vom Schreibstil her würde ich sie eher als "technisches Betriebshandbuch" bezeichnen. Ich bin mir ziemlich sicher, dass es nicht aus der Feder eines Mitarbeiters der Marketingabteilung oder einer externen Agentur stammt, sondern dass die Ingenieure, die das Gerät entwickelt haben, auch die Anleitung erstellt haben. Sie klingt zum Einen sehr technisch, zum Anderen ist in jedem Satz der Stolz über das Produkt herauszulesen! RME stellt nun mal in erster Linie digitale Studiotechnik her, und der ADI-2 DAC FS ist auch die leicht abgespeckte Version des Profigerätes ADI-2 Pro. Gegenüber diesem fehlt ihm aber im Prinzip nur der Analog-Digital-Wandler, der auch den Anschluss analoger Quellen ermöglicht. Und immerhin widmet sich eine der 70 Seiten des Handbuchs auch dem Betrieb an der heimischen HiFi-Anlage. ;-) Das Gerät ist sehr gut verarbeitet. Es kommt in einem eher technisch-nüchternem Metallgehäuse daher, dessen Rückseite immerhin ein "Made in Germany" verkündet. Das Netzkabel kann am Gerät verriegelt werden. Trotz aller Kompliziertheit ist die Inbetriebnahme recht einfach: Anschließen und genießen! Der belegte Eingang (USB, optisch und koaxial stehen zur Verfügung) wird automatisch erkannt. Für InEars und andere niedrigohmige Kopfhörer gibt es einen speziellen iEM-Ausgang. Meinen T1 betreibe ich natürlich an der 6,3 mm Stereoklinke. Einen symmetrischen Kopfhörerausgang gibt es leider nicht. Tatsächlich hat der RME eine enorme Kraft! Zwar musste ich im Menü "Hi-Power" wählen, aber dann bringt er den T1 mit einer Leichtigkeit zum Klingen, dass es eine Freude ist! Und was da noch für Reserven sind - unglaublich! Fangen wir mit einer DSD-Datei von Alan Parsons "I Robot" an. Donnerwetter! Man ist gleich versucht, den Lautstärkeregler weit aufzudrehen, obwohl ich eigentlich eher in gemäßigter Lautstärke höre. Aber das absolute Fehlen von Rauschen und jeglicher Verzerrung auch bei höheren Lautstärken sind da echt verführerisch! Zum Vergleich mit dem bisherigen Fiio drehe ich die Lautstärke jedoch etwas runter. Ich will ja nicht ein bloßes "Lauter" als besseren Klang fehlinterpretieren. Tatsächlich sind die Bässe des T1 nun ein klein wenig kräftiger als beim Fiio. Und tatsächlich gewinnt auch die Ortbarkeit von Stimmen und Instrumenten noch mal deutlich. So sind die einzelnen Sänger des Chors in "Total Eclipse" nun einzeln zu orten. Eine Fähigkeit, die ich kürzlich erst dem T1-3 wohlwollend zu-, dem T1-2 jedoch absprach. Nun weiß ich, dass es an meiner Quelle lag, die mit den 32 Ohm des T1-3 kein Problem hatte, wohl aber mit den 600 Ohm des T1-2. Auch andere Musik klingt nun deutlich besser, wenngleich ich es auch nicht immer in Worte fassen kann. Tatsache ist, dass insbesondere komplexe Musik vom RME profitiert. Klassische Orchestermusik, aber auch progressive Rock (wie "Close to the Edge" von Yes oder "With Friends from the Orchestra" von Marillion) klingt detaillierter, weniger angestrengt als noch zuvor. Und auch da wieder profitieren die Bässe. Dass das Gerät aus dem Profibereich stammt, merkt man auch an der Fülle der Konfigurationsmöglichkeiten. Ein paar von denen sind sogar einzigartig, wie zum Beispiel eine konfigurierbare Loudness-Funktion über das Setzen einer Low Volume Referenz. Auch das Verhalten der analogen Ausgänge auf der Rückseite lässt sich in vielerlei Hinsicht bestimmen. Und natürlich sind auch Crossfeed und ein parametrischer Equalizer mit an Bord. Ich kann auf die Klangoptimierungen gut verzichten, auch Crossfeed überzeugt mich nicht wirklich. Eine tolle Spielerei dagegen ist das geniale Farbdisplay, das wirklich über so ziemlich alles Auskunft gibt. Die Fernbedienung hat zusätzlich 4 Tasten, deren Funktion sich definieren lässt. Ich bin super glücklich mit dem Gerät, das wirklich keine Wünsche offen lässt. Die Klangabstimmung trifft mit der konsequenten Neutralität meinen Geschmack. Über die Auswahl des Filters, die regelbare Loudness und letztlich den parametrischen Equalizer kann sich jeder den Klang so pimpen, dass er den eigenen Vorlieben entspricht. Ich wünschte, ich hätte den neuen Beyerdynamic T1-3 behalten, statt ihn zurückzugeben, denn dann hätte ich mal ausprobieren können, ob ich mit dem RME dessen krummen Frequenzgang irgendwie wieder zurechtgebogen bekommen hätte.