Serious questions / discussions preferred here.

Just thinking/joking: optional bells and whistles (linear power supply, bigger footstands, etc.) probably won't help. But what about an alternative digital interface as e.g. firewire ?
Though I am fully satisfied with the ADI 2 dac (perfect DAC !) but personally prefer using it feeding via SPDIF.
I have to admit that I don't have an Intona.
Instead, I grabbed a firewire Interface with Dice II and digital out - and here we go.
Switched fore and back - and ended with firewire.
Knowing that there shouldn't be a difference resulting from the digital domain.
Nevertheless, call it esoteric or oscillating - I personally prefer the unthinkable...
The difference is very subtile. Mainly in the root.
Maybe also a bit less what the esoteric people call fatigue.
Check it out.

I doubt the intona would make any meaningful difference.
I am using the Adi2pro with a Mutec mc3+ smart clock: zero difference, With or without the Mutec there are no audible effects. I am using it just because I was already using it with my previous DAC (a beautiful and much more costly Jadis....with a very poor usb in).
Soundwise, I don't know if and what can be significantly improved in the Adi2.
However, jokes aside, a more attractive look would not be a deadly sin, in my opinion.
But it's a very minor issue. The overall quality of this little box is superb.

No worth it: that's for sure, at least in terms of sound quality improvement

Affect credibility: well, that depends on how exactly things are done. My hope is that there is a sort of middle ground where you can preserve credibility. In the current Adi2 models there are already some options meant, first and foremost, to please audiophiles (nos filter, dsd....bells and whistles that are absolutely superfluous but very much admired by many audiophiles who still believe that dsd is "more analog sounding" and nos filters are, yes, again "more analog sounding" . Totally unsubstantiated stuff, essentially the result of many years of snake oil marketing which has always been rampant in our hobby. And this tradition unfortunately is still going strong with the latest mqa ridicolous thing. Of course everything above is imho.

Just to clarify: my Adi2pro is not the latest FS version.
However, judging by many technical reviews and my ears, its overall quality is still superb. The Mutec in fact, improves nothing. And I am not surprised.

EDITED:

Sorry, but this is a very questionable posting without any information content.

The intention is also not quite clear. The first posting of an "alleged" user, who doesn't even explain in which setup he tested the ADI-2 Pro and which other device he thinks would be more "musical" in his opinion.

My personal opinion: the term "musical" is not clearly defined, everyone understands and hears something different.
A DAC simply has to work precisely and this is the case with the ADI-2 Pro.

I see here more potential issues in the combination of amplifier/boxes and in the area of room acoustics,
maybe also personal listening habits.

It's IMHO even an advantage that the ADI-2 Pro * works as precise as he is without "washing" the sound
to bring something into it which was not there upfront.

It's better to "shape the sound" to personal taste by
a) EQing
b) room acoustic
c) amp and speakers that sound good and do not need a "mocho generating component" in between in the area of D/A conversion.

(+) I personally compared the ADI-2 Pro, ADI-2 Pro FS and ADI-2 DAC with the DAC-40 module of the Accuphase E600 Class A amplifier and B&W 803D3 speakers. The differences were subtile. I had the impression, that the ADI-2 Pro is a little bit more precise in room recreation and instrument positioning.

Also the ADI-2 * sounded for my ears more like the Accuphase DAC-40 module, when being in NOS mode. It cleared a bit up when using the other non-NOS modes. All in all the ADI-2 Pro / * sounded a little bit better compared to the Accuphase DAC-40 module for my ears.

Based on this comparison I can see nothing wrong in the RME product.
Also the presentation of sound and room in my studio corner when listening over Geithain RL906 near field speakers.
Or when using Audeze LCD-3 phones (alcantara version has better sound).
The result is everywhere the same, exzellent sound.

(+) Methodology: when performing the tests I ensured that the setup allows for quick A/B comparisons in under 1 sec.
I achieved this by using my PC as music player and using 2 different TOSLINK connections originating from my RME UFX+ and Octamic XTC. With the remote control of the Accu E600 I was able to quickly select either the internal DAC-40 or the ADI-2 Pro with the same music material in under 1 sec. I performed the tests multiple times at different occasions to prevent ear fatigue. Blind test would have been nice, but I had nobody near to do the switching for me and to make notes.

It would be nice to bring more information into your postings before making such statements.
Nothing against personal opinions, but not the way you did.

BTW, my musical background, I play and record music and am also a big fan of Live Music and know how instruments shall sound (part of very early musical education at school in the 70's). I also know where the limitations are at home.
But with my setup artists like Lee Ritenour on Bluray start to sound live and vivit in my living room through
the ADI-2 DAC and the rest of my setup.

Yes Jazz clubs are nice .. to few of them available, sad.

Nice welcome and reply ramses.
So you decide that my intentions are questionable, and that I am an 'alleged' user.
(I am not surprised by the aggressive attitude b.t.w., I have been noticing an inclination to that from other experienced forum members and moderators towards newer or less savvy forum members earlier.)

I'm not going to provide you any 'proof', but I have quite some experience with audio and audio equipment, both home and studio.
And yes, I have also used and auditioned the RME ADI-2 DAC for almost a month.
I was able to compare it both in a home, and a studio environment against ('with' is a nicer and more appropriate word) a couple of other dacs.
Both using professional monitors and monitoring headphones, and with some 'high-end' home audio equipment.

If you believe or question me or not, I don't care much.

The only purpose for my previous post was to ventilate that I think it is silly to pretend that any piece of equipment is perfect for every situation, works perfect together with all other equipment, is impossible to surpass quality-wise, or will suit all ears.

And since you immediately made it personal, I also find it quite arrogant and ignorant to support such a notion and suggest that you have created a product that in audio quality is unsurpassable by any other manufacturer.

So then we can probably also agree on that there will never be any advertising by RME for a successor that will mention anything about an improved sound quality compared to the ADI-2?

The reason I didn't mention specific audio equipment used, music listened to, and the names and telephone numbers of friends (among quite a few 'audio professionals' that mostly agreed with me doing several several comparisons b.t.w.), is that I didn't find it appropriate to trigger any better than/worse than discussions on an RME forum where I am a guest.
(I wouldn't question the taste or the quality of the furnishing or the food at a house where I stayed as a guest either.)

Secondly it is completely silly and childish to start some boxing match pretending that anybody can decide 'what sounds better'.

If you or anybody else believes that your product is the perfect solution for everybody and every situation, and that it is impossible to improve or surpass it's audio quality, fine. Keep comfort and pleasure in that notion.

Jistme,

If you didn't receive a Proper Welcome, allow me to be the First to do so. Herzliche Willkommen!!

Please understand that this Forum is operated by a Professional Audio Company who's Fortune depends on delivering a Thoroughly Engineered Product to it's Consumers.   Subsequently, "Faith Based" , Subjective Observations by Yourself and I will be reviewed under a MicroScope.   

RME supports it's Claims with verifiable Test Data.  Can I support my Perceptions with the Same? Ehhhh...probably not.

Hang in there Friend.   Maybe a Rocky Intro for You, but the Intent is to keep us all Fact Based.    Stick around!   Much to be learned here.

All the Best for You!

Curt

Jistme,

Just what exactly is your Listening Preference?  Speakers or Headphones?

With Speakers, Basic Adherence to Placement, etc is important.  Far above that is the Room's Acoustic!   Audiophiles pay no attention to this, and ManOMan it's a Killer.   Jumbled, Incoherent Sound is to be expected in a Room filled with Crazy Reflections, Standing Waves, SBIR, et al.

No DAC can fix that. 

Look into your Room!  Expect to be Mortified by your findings.

Dear all,

I have to comment on this thread as it seems to take an unneccessary direction. It seems to me that ramses, who is definitely our number one helpful resource in here, and also got lots of credits over time for explaing how to use RME equipment best on his own blog, misunderstood jistme's first post a bit.

And jistme seemed to have misunderstood ramses function as user helping other users - he is neither the developer nor manufacturer of the ADI-2 DAC, nor an employee of RME.

So please all cool down a bit and let me do the upsetting work

@jistme: yes, there will never be a successor that will have improved sound quality compared to the ADI-2 DAC. We avoid that kind of BS advertizing since more than 20 years. Our products excel by quality and features, we don't need to lie to get sales. That said audible 'sound improvements' belong into the 'more musical' section of home HiFi (as you wrote), which is not our typical market.

Your proposal of adding a sticker, thought to the end, would mean the unit is plastered with stickers. There are many pitholes where you can go wrong. Like people unintentionally changing Bass/Treble and thinking the sound is too bright or dull. Or missing the High Power setting of the Phones out and thinking it can't drive high impedance phones. I for one like the embarrasement the moment the connector locks. It makes users more careful the next time they don't understand something, or if something doesn't seem to work as it should.