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.
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From the manufacturer
The ADI-2 DAC includes an improved SteadyClock, a fine-tuned to perfection analog circuitry, new MRC remote control, Extreme Power headphone output and a very special IEM output. It has all the bells and whistles that made the ADI-2 Pro famous, including its perfectly transparent sound signature and full DSP processing with Bass, Treble, Loudness, 5 Band Parametric EQ, Crossfeed and much more. With its simplified operation and stunning design it is the ideal center piece from home listening up to studio reference playback.
Connectivity & Features
The ADI-2 DAC is the home and hi-fi optimized version of the ADI-2 Pro, a studio AD/DA converter of the highest quality. With many fresh ideas, innovative features and numerous useful functions, the ADI-2 DAC quickly became the reference. Thanks to its combination of high-end DA conversion with two exceptional headphone IEM outputs and a remote control, it has received countless enthusiastic reviews for its sound, flexibility, and technical capabilities.
The current version of the ADI-2 DAC comes with an extended remote control, a further improved DA conversion and an adapted analog output stage for even better noise and distortion values. To address the home and HiFi users, RME exchanged some of the Pro's studio features with typical home and HiFi ones. With an adapted feature set and much simplified operation RME proudly presents the ADI-2 DAC. Built on the technology, concept and features of the ADI-2 Pro, the DAC concentrates on DA conversion in top high-end quality, along with two exceptional headphone and IEM outputs.
The DAC
Packed into the compact half 19” format factor, this little gem is filled with the finest high-end electronics, offering a reference class conversion from SPDIF coaxial, SPDIF optical (ADAT compatible) and USB to RCA, XLR, TRS and mini-TRS.
As the most versatile DAC available, the ADI-2 DAC offers balanced/unbalanced analog I/Os, an Extreme Power headphone output, a super low noise IEM output, SteadyClock FS, 4-stage hardware output level control, DSP-based signal processing, external power supply operation, Class Compliant USB compatibility, sample rates up to 768 kHz as well as DSD playback. The SPDIF input signal can even be recorded via USB - as one would expect from RME the DAC is a true 2 channel Full Duplex audio interface.
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| ADI-2 DAC FS | ADI-2 PRO FS BE | |
| Customer Reviews |
268
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25
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| Price | $1,299.00 | $1,999.00 |
| Record/Playback | Playback only | Recording and Playback |
| Analog I/O | 4 Out | 2 In / 4 Out |
| Digital I/O | SPDIF Optical SPDIF Coaxial | AES/EBU XLR, SPDIF Optical and SPDIF Coaxial |
| USB | Connect to Mac, PC, Tablet | Connect to Mac, PC, Tablet |
| Headphone connections | High power (1) and In Ear Monitor (1) | High Power (2) (one of them in balanced mode) |
| Sample Rate Conversion | Up to 768kHz / DSD / DSP | Up to 768kHz / DSD / DSP |
Compare with similar items
This Item  RME ADI2DACFS Ultra-fidelity PCM/DSD 768 kHz 2-Channel DA Converter |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $1,299.00 | $1,999.00 | -27% $948.00 New Price: $1,299.00 | -29% $99.00 List: $139.00 | $157.00 | $259.00 |
| Delivery | Get it as soon as Saturday, May 18 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 10 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 10 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14 | Get it as soon as Wednesday, May 15 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
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| Volume control | ||||||
| Sold By | AVLGEAR | Alto Music | Alto Music | Schiit Audio | Schiit Audio | Schiit Audio |
| interface type | USB | Coaxial, USB | USB | Coaxial, USB | Coaxial, USB | Coaxial, USB |
| number of channels | 2 | 2 | — | — | 2 | — |
| mounting type | Floor Mount,Ground Mount,Plug Mount | Coaxial,Plug Mount | — | Plug Mount | Plug Mount | — |
Reviews with images
Great sound and features, but received 2 defective units
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.
Top reviews from other countries
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Sans doute le meilleur rapport Qualité prix pour un DAC haut de gamme
Reviewed in France on May 7, 2024