RME ADI-2 Pro Discussion Thread

I don't have any real detailed notes but: I've been using the ADI-2 Pro five+ days a week in my office to mix, edit, grade, quality check etc. as well as listen to Spotify, podcasts, CDs. It's excellent and I really have no qualms with it. I have not used it with headphones that much but found it very satisfactory for the tasks at hand. When I used headphones, it was for very precise mixing and correction work, so I can't comment on it from a pleasure listening standpoint.
I haven't used it as an ADC yet but may do so soon for some cassette transfers and receiving mic pre outputs for screencast training materials I need to make.
I haven't done advanced routing or EQ stuff either, but it is nice to know that it is all there for max flexibility. In my work environment, needs can change and suddenly some of those "out there" features become crucial to my success. I've run into the limitations of other gear (connection and flexibility-wise) in the last year, and it is has made life difficult. I have no fears about this happening with the ADI-2 Pro.
I feel very pleased with the purchase and would recommend to others who can afford it [NOTE: I certainly cannot as an individual]

 

As an extension of what I said earlier... I've got a Prism dac at home which is roughly of the same tier with the RME in the pro world. The Prism has this very "sweet and airy" sound to it at first listen, but gets kinda wispy after listening for half an hour. The RME comes across as rather hard and edgy at first, but then settles into this great precision after a few songs.

The thing is, for me my listening is so sporadic these days. I make it through two or three songs if I'm lucky before I run off to do something around the house or head out for yet-more-work. So for me technically the Prism suits me better. I need that immediate soft touch because that's all I have time for. I can't get into the RME sound on the short-term.

 

I always leave it on. I mean it's my ears that need to warm up, but lately I never have time for that

 

https://twitter.com/rme_news/status/938458098775314432

 

There is a new firmware update out: https://www.forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=26367

 

There is a new hardware variation of the ADI-2 Pro announced. It's called the ADI-2 DAC.
https://www.rme-audio.de/en/products/adi_2-dac.php



As you can see, there are some changes:
- no more ADC
- no more identical 6.35mm headphone outputs, so no more balanced amping
- a remote control

Changes you can't see:
- major price cut down to 999 €
- a dedicated IEM amp circuitry for ultra-low inaudible noise
- improved clock with femtosecond accuracy (hence the FS next to DAC)

This should be an absolute killer for desktop headphone amplification and even improve upon the ADI-2 Pro! All details and technical information can be found in the thorough manual here: https://www.rme-audio.de/download/adi2dac_e.pdf

 

I am interested in that DAC but I think the dual headphone output, the ADC and the ability to go balanced make the Pro still worth the extra premium.

In direct comparisons of the Pro and Yggdrasil, has there ever been a full write up of that yet?

Really curious of which of the two have the blacker background, better resolution, and better dynamics?

 

Apart from the Femto clocks, what other advantage would it have over the Pro? Does it still use AKM 4490?

 

A DAC/AMP and no longer an audio interface. Hardly a variation, more a completely different product in the series. I suppose separate DACs and ADCs have a place in the pro world, but perhaps this is aimed at the home-use world more.

It is very valid. I've never been a fan of paying for stuff I'm never going to use, like mic pre-amps on a pro-audio interface. Here's the bit of the ADI-2 Pro that listeners want to use and at a price far more people can afford to pay.

Good. Pity it was too late to compete for the 2017 Golden Schlong. Maybe it might get onto the 2018 list.

 

Looks like a great machine, if I would not have Brooklyn DAC I would jump on it.

 

Does this have a blackout mode? That was my deal-breaker with the ADI-2 Pro.

 

I see that another change is that they've tweaked some of the circuitry in the DAC portion so that the hardware reference level settings for the outputs are now different. The lowest output level is now -5 dBu vs. +4 dBu from the ADI-2 Pro. Would that help to reduce the noise floor when paired with an amplifier that has a high gain?

 

It does. They added an AutoDark mode that shuts off the display and the standby light after 10 seconds of no use.

 

There is something about all of their products that appeals to my inner geek.

 

Pretty cool device. A limitation of the ADI-2 DAC relative to the ADI-2 Pro is it does not support different equalization or volume settings per output (when used simultaneously). See page 36 in the manual (https://www.rme-audio.de/download/adi2dac_e.pdf). Looks like a cost-cutting measure.

Edit: clarification.

 

Argh, maybe if I stop working 70hr weeks I'd find time to finish writing my review...