Any experiences with RME ADI-2 Pro DAC?

[asdf1000]

Somebody here mentions the balanced headphones outputs measures better than the rear XLR outputs? Wouldn't work with DSD Direct though obviously.

 

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-rme-adi-2-pro-comparison-to-adi-2-dac.2682/post-116299

 

[Miska]

3 hours ago, Em2016 said:

How is the 8kHz packet noise with this DAC's USB input in your measurements? Is there no difference whether you connect to noisy PC (non DAC-UP port) and your microRendu for example?

 

I've tested it on my Xeon workstation and there's no detectable packet noise... I have not tested with microRendu...

 

[Miska]

2 hours ago, Em2016 said:

Somebody here mentions the balanced headphones outputs measures better than the rear XLR outputs? Wouldn't work with DSD Direct though obviously.

 

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-rme-adi-2-pro-comparison-to-adi-2-dac.2682/post-116299

 

That is probably because with balanced headphone output mode you get one DAC chip per channel. While normally one of the chips drives analog outs and one headphone socket and another drives another headphone socket.

 

[asdf1000]

4 hours ago, Miska said:

 

That is probably because with balanced headphone output mode you get one DAC chip per channel. While normally one of the chips drives analog outs and one headphone socket and another drives another headphone socket.

 

 

Ah that’s interesting. Is DSD Direct possible via this balanced headphones output , with XLR adapters, WITHOUT volume control? To connect to a preamp/headamp/integrated/powered speakers?

 

Or do they still block DSD Direct on headphones, regardless, To protect from accidental max. volume on actual balanced headphones?

 

 

[Miska]

27 minutes ago, Em2016 said:

Ah that’s interesting. Is DSD Direct possible via this balanced headphones output , with XLR adapters, WITHOUT volume control? To connect to a preamp/headamp/integrated/powered speakers?

 

Or do they still block DSD Direct on headphones, regardless, To protect from accidental max. volume on actual balanced headphones?

 

Headphone out with DSD Direct is muted to avoid accidents. And I can totally understand that. Software volume control would be an option, but I'm still hesitating to ask for such config option in the DAC.

 

Anyway, the performance is already very good with single chip. Better than what TEAC does with dual-chip (on 503). So I wouldn't worry too much. I still want to get the TEAC 505 though.

 

[asdf1000]

3 hours ago, Miska said:

 

Headphone out with DSD Direct is muted to avoid accidents. And I can totally understand that. Software volume control would be an option, but I'm still hesitating to ask for such config option in the DAC.

 

Anyway, the performance is already very good with single chip. Better than what TEAC does with dual-chip (on 503). So I wouldn't worry too much. I still want to get the TEAC 505 though.

 

 

Agreed, too much risk of hearing damage on headphones.

 

What features of the Teac make you want to get it? Better in-built headphones section?

 

[Miska]

17 minutes ago, Em2016 said:

Agreed, too much risk of hearing damage on headphones.

 

What features of the Teac make you want to get it? Better in-built headphones section?

 

It should be fairly well built and has one step newer AKM DAC chips capable of DSD512... So far I have UD-501 and NT-503, so it would be next step in the series...

 

[Montanari]

Does this mean That if i Connect the headphone to the Jack  of the exasound 22 for example, upsampling to dsd256 with hqplayer i risk to damage My headphone? 

[asdf1000]

13 minutes ago, Montanari said:

Does this mean That if i Connect the headphone to the Jack  of the exasound 22 for example, upsampling to dsd256 with hqplayer i risk to damage My headphone? 

 

The risk being discussed above is more risk of serious damage to ears/hearing, not just headphones.

 

Not sure about the Exasound 22 though. Hopefully someone else can help.

 

[Montanari]

Probably they were refering to Direct mode so no volume control or 0db?

[asdf1000]

47 minutes ago, Miska said:

 

It should be fairly well built and has one step newer AKM DAC chips capable of DSD512... So far I have UD-501 and NT-503, so it would be next step in the series...

 

 

We were discussing the DSD filter cut-offs with the RME DAC (50kHz and 150kHz). Similar for the 503.

 

The Teac UD-505's DSD filters look very different. Much much higher cut-offs with DSD256 and DSD512.

 

[Miska]

35 minutes ago, Em2016 said:

The Teac UD-505's DSD filters look very different. Much much higher cut-offs with DSD256 and DSD512.

 

 

As you can see, conversion stage filters just scale in frequency, every time sampling rate is doubled, filter corner frequency is also moved 2x higher. This is just like the the behavior of my DSC1 design conversion stage (the following analog filter stays at fixed frequency of course). So with 505 the actual filter remains the same, just sampling rate changes and thus filter corner. There's still a fixed corner analog filter following the DAC chip.

 

With T+A DAC8 DSD this is different in a way that it has two alternate fixed frequency filters you can choose from and they both apply equally to PCM and DSD sources.

 

[asdf1000]

36 minutes ago, Miska said:

 

As you can see, conversion stage filters just scale in frequency, every time sampling rate is doubled, filter corner frequency is also moved 2x higher. This is just like the the behavior of my DSC1 design conversion stage (the following analog filter stays at fixed frequency of course). So with 505 the actual filter remains the same, just sampling rate changes and thus filter corner. There's still a fixed corner analog filter following the DAC chip.

 

With T+A DAC8 DSD this is different in a way that it has two alternate fixed frequency filters you can choose from and they both apply equally to PCM and DSD sources.

 

 

Maybe wait for the UD-507? With the new AK4499EQ?

 

Apparently not using the switching capacitor filter?

[PieterP]

Linux is not mentioned in the user manual of the Teac UD-505. Will this Teac UD-505 work with Linux (HQPe)? 

[nocrapman]

I am eagerly expecting the ADI-2 on tuesday. 

This will be for a desktop setup for a 2.0 monitor setup. 

Will be hooked up with usb.

I like the compact form factor and the small graphic display reminiscent of 80s. 

I like the basic EQ functions as well even though ROON provides a much deeper dive into this. 

 

Quick questions for folks who have experience with this unit:

1. Driver - standard windows driver vs RME? Most of the use will be roon/youtube.

2. USB - I only own cheapo USB cables - any recommendation for a better cable if it makes a difference?

[Tannoymike]

I've setup the RME dac on my windows computer using the Microsoft driver as the RME driver won't install (see my previous posts) so am using WASAPI  not ASIO which I would prefer. I amusing JRiver and the WASAPI output and DOP, when I  play DSF64 files with this setup the RME shows 176.4 in the display am I correct in thinking this is correct for my setup and DOP? Also when I play higher rate than  the DSF64 files the display shows it playing but I get no sound out from the outputs into my headphone amp, any ideas?

[Miska]

ADI-2 always shows the active PCM rate, regardless if you are using PCM or DSD (over DoP), so that is normal.

 

Do you have ADI-2 set up in CC Stereo mode? Although it shouldn't even allow rates higher than 192k when in multichannel mode.

 

[Tannoymike]

Not sure about  the CC stereo mode, where is that located in the menu?

[Miska]

5 hours ago, Tannoymike said:

Not sure about  the CC stereo mode, where is that located in the menu?

 

Press "SETUP" button, "Options" / "Device Mode" menu. I have "Basic Mode" = "USB" and "CC-Mode" = "Stereo".

 

In same place I also have DSD Direct enabled, since that's what I want, but depends on how one uses the device.

 

[Tannoymike]

Many thanks Miska I will check this. Also can I thank you for all your many responses throughout the year on this forum covering many topics its much appreciated by me and I suspect many others who have had various problems with bits of equipment and software. Have a happy xmas and New Year and to everyone else on this forum.

[asdf1000]

Hi @Miska

 

I'm trying to workout the output voltages (different gain settings) of the ADI-2 Pro.

 

Converting from dBu into V, are these the balanced XLR output voltages?

 

1.23V, 3.46V, 6.9V and 12.3V?

 

And unbalanced RCA output voltages are just half of the above?

 

I used this site. Hopefully it's correct:

 

http://www.sengpielaudio.com/calculator-db-volt.htm

 

Cheers

 

[Miska]

3 hours ago, Em2016 said:

I'm trying to workout the output voltages (different gain settings) of the ADI-2 Pro.

 

Converting from dBu into V, are these the balanced XLR output voltages?

 

1.23V, 3.46V, 6.9V and 12.3V?

 

And unbalanced RCA output voltages are just half of the above?

 

I used this site. Hopefully it's correct:

 

They are already translated for you in the analog input section of the manual...

 

 

So your conversion seems to match the RME's.

 

I'm using +13 dBu myself for consumer gear connections.

 

[asdf1000]

@Miska the measurements obviously speak for themselves (very very good and no jitter issues to worry about between digital inputs to analogue output) but just out of general interest only, how is the clocking in the RME ADI-2?

 

Does it have synchronous clocking, with dual clocks (e.g. ~22MHz and ~24 MHz family rates)?

 

Or just a single clock with ASRC?

 

 

 

 

 

[Miska]

On 1/25/2019 at 7:43 AM, Em2016 said:

Does it have synchronous clocking, with dual clocks (e.g. ~22MHz and ~24 MHz family rates)?

 

Or just a single clock with ASRC?

 

AKM chips don't have ASRC, only ESS has. So they need matching separate clocks for the two rate families.

 

There's a clock generator for those.

[asdf1000]

11 minutes ago, Miska said:

 

AKM chips don't have ASRC, only ESS has. So they need matching separate clocks for the two rate families.

 

There's a clock generator for those.

 

Nice, thanks.