1st of all .. a youtube listening test is IMHO no valid test.
AFAIK the audio files become modified and can't be regarded as lossless anymore.
I do not know what exactly they do .. but I would at least be careful taking these sound samples as a reference.

> Please tell me why i should buy RME dac over others

Well, my perspective as satisfied RME customer since 6+ years:

I could tinker with you in technical terms, but I don't. You are welcome to read the manual of the ADI-2 DAC or Pro, the first few pages will give you a good overview of what the units can do.
https://www.rme-audio.de/download/adi2dacr_d.pdf
https://www.rme-audio.de/download/adi2dacr_e.pdf
https://www.rme-audio.de/download/adi2profsr_d.pdf
https://www.rme-audio.de/download/adi2profsr_e.pdf

I'm happy to recommend RME to others, because I feel that I'm in good hands with this company as a customer. Why ? RME has earned its spurs in the studio business and can rightly be considered one of the most innovative challengers in the market. There is no other manufacturer that offers such a good package of reliable hardware, drivers, features and software.

The products are designed with great attention to detail and are maintained afterwards for a long time. Additional ideas / demands from customers have been implemented by firmware updates across the last years and it also led to product refreshes for stuff that could not be anticipated years ago.

Some RME devices have been supplied with current Windows and Apple drivers for nearly almost 20 years now.

RME is also not a company that wants to talk the customer into buying a product with questionable ("HiFi voodoo") features. They are also very open in communicating technical data, which can be achieved by their products and be validated by everyone. As HiFi Customer you also benefit from the know-how that this company gained in the studio area.

That's why RME devices enjoy a good reputation and even have very good resale prices.

In my opinion the most important features of the ADI-2 * product-line are:
- RME gets surely everything out of the DAC chip (simply good overall design)
- High Audio quality to drive my Gaithein Monitors, Audeze LCD-3 and Accuphase Class A HiFi
- For the communication with the PC no 3rd party communication chips are used, all being done by RME in the FPGA
- FPGA based design, everything can be fixed / flashed
- RME's SteadyClock feature eliminates the outer influences of clock jitter, refreshes the clock signal and performs the D/A conversion with the internal Femto Second Clock in high quality. This eliminates any clock jitter, be it from USB or SPDIF/ADAT.
- Support for different reference levels (4) and the auto reflevel feature. DAC: the four reference levels adjusted more to HiFi devices usual demands
- 5-band PEQ to correct / adjust certain "faults" of your phones
- Great features, e.g. Slow Volume Ramp-up when plugging in/out the Phones, Dynamic Loudness, Remap Key Feature, the super status overview with which problems with digital connections can be easily troubleshooted, real manuals in very good quality and even the printed manuals you get in two languages, ..
- ...

The best introduction into "RME" as company you can find here in this interview, it tells you a lot about the spirt of this company: https://www.rme-audio.de/interview-matt … stens.html

Finally the over 19.000 postings of Mr Carstens alone on user forum speak a clear language, that RME is very customer oriented. Only this way good ideas/demands from customer can flow back into product maintenance and development.

In terms of sustainability after purchase, what you are looking for, RME products give you a very high value.

Thanks. when is ak4499eq rme dac is coming? I need future proof. I dont want to look for dac in next 3 years.

For me personally there is also no audible difference between the previous and current DAC generation (AK4490 -> AK4493). Both sound excellent.

Therefore I have doubts that this high end DAC chip would sound any better.
With measurement equipment you will see a difference, but you still hear with your ears ...

Also consider, using this high end chip would have a significant impact on price. See MCs comment in this thread:
https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=28717

I think the past and current quality of ADI-2 Pro/DAC devices can be regarded as sweetspot between price and performance which is still payable.

I think the current DAC chips can definitively be used more than 3y ... everything plays already on a top quality niveau.

From the web ... "The dynamic range of human hearing is approximately 120 decibels. Signals over 90 dB may cause permanent hearing damage." .. I think 120 dB SNR should be fair enough ...

My tip to you is to focus more on the complete product offering that you get already with the current RME devices.
Look how many firmware upgrades have been released for ADI-2 Pro/DAC in the past years with not only fixes,
but also product enhancements and where also the 1st generation of DACs had benefits from.
I think this is much more important than a few dB SNR more and this to a still affordable price.

Audiophile insecurities.  The Boutique Audio Industry has thrived on them for decades.   Don't fall for the "Emotionally Engineered" Bullshit they're selling. "Pace, Rhythm, Timing...Chocolatey...Honey-Like...Voluptuously Velvety...."   What does any of that really mean?  Granted, those terms DO mean "something" to that group that lays awake at night fantasizing about the Length, and Girth of some new Audio Cable...imagine where THOSE thoughts go...!!!  "Oh! My!!  It's so LARGE!!!"

In a more Sane World...

Buy an RME, and be confident.  Stop worrying.  Buy the "DAC of the Month" elsewhere?...and be uncertain always. (Your Audio Dealer will love you though, because you'll be buying another in just a few weeks)

We're a Vocal, and Enthusiastic Group for a reason Alex. We're happy RME users, not Reviewers. WE paid to be here.  Nobody paid us for our thoughts.

RME !!!

Curt

Thanks for replies. Its one time expensive purchase for me , i have to put lots of thoughts into it.
I also need a dac that shows input signal sample rate and output sample rate.
This is a must for any high quality dac and it has to be transparent. No poly tab magic.

As KaiS already mentioned, you only need to draw a decision whether to take
- ADI-2 DAC FS or
- ADI-2 Pro FS R BE

The additional advantages of getting the ADI-2 Pro FS R BE:
- has two D/A converter instead of one
   - allows for symmetric phones setup
   - two equal phones outputs allow for quick A/B checks when comparing different phones
- A/D converter for digitizing analog sources
- different digital input and outputs (AES, ADAT/SPDIF, coax. SPDIF)
- Sample Rate Converter (SRC) to be able to connect external digital devices with fix / different sample rate

bought chord mojo temporarily. will check out when new rme dac comes with ak4499eq chip and ability to reduce low amplitude signal frequency. The reason fpga sound cleaner because they program it to remove low amplitude signals ( mainly noise created by  microphones and stuff)

Every dac should have attenuation knob that reduces very low volume signal ( do not matter frequency).  0db -5db.

This is especially needed for chip dac. FPGA dac this is programmed i think. Its all the trick chord mojo has i think.

I am only speaking user point of view. How its implemented in chord mojo  , i do not know.
From the demo point of view i heard rme and quetest , i see voice from quetest dont have the metal (high pitch high frequency) sound attached to voice sound  like in rme or any chip dac.

This is only possible that they filtered those frequencies.

FPGA DAC theory
https://ntnuopen.ntnu.no/ntnu-xmlui/bit … sequence=1
i dont have patience to read all that.

Most filters and equalizer only suppress frequencies or enchance it

For me its not about filters. Its about removing any noise created by recording instruments. It could be low amplitude or it just attached to voice. They probably employ several technique to remove those noises or instrument high frequency sound piggy back on voice (in midrange) that do not have good clarity.

I think we need a way to custom programme through mobile app

That is future proof dac. You create your own complex custom filter steps and apply.

Also different type sound different custom filters can be employed. People can create those custom filters and sell it as well.

Key here is a platform. Ease of use. That means it need a mobile app that can download custom filters to dac.

That is my future proof. After 192khz sample rate , you really cant improve the sound signature. All you have to do next is remove unwanted frequencies through attenuation knob or custom filters.

Music reproduction? who can be judge of that? each person ear has different sensor grade. I like instrument laid on layers so i can hear each instrument. 100% music reproduction is shade area. Because where ever it recorded , the recording instrument play crucial role.

I believe the choice sound should be left out the person who hears it.  For me a person has more choices has more freedom.

For me future DAC is integrated digital platform.

Not long ago all amplifiers came with 10 band equalizer. Human mind changes with time.

Things go back and forth though.

I am looking for crystal clear dac.  Not really into bad music reproduction.  RME may reproduce near perfect music reproduction. Sure price / value  , it probably better than qutest. But if people have money they will chose qutest.

Reason is simple. Clarity.

I take clarity over music reproduction. The clarity choice given to user it has better value. But you cant give too much choices. Humans are monkeys. Giving flower to monkey ...you know what happen.

I do think there should be some kinda tinkering to be allowed by user. Before bass treble was in most reciever.

Dac should have attenuation filter not by frequency but by amplitude of the low signals. anything below 2 db cut it off. It is mostly not hearable by human ear. Better remove it.

I do not know chord do that internally. Based on youtube demo i think the voices are human voice and no microphone noises in there.

RME dac will reproduce noises as well. We must evolve. Produce sound that gives eargasm.

I become audiophile only when i heard celestion ditton 100 first time. My mind blown.  first time i heard speaker sings. It was possible because they eliminated unwanted frequencies get into speaker.

Same with dac. Music reproduction may be first priority but with options for user to magically improve the sound to their ears by removing instrument noises in recording.  These noises are low amplitude signals and its not part of the music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjqloZ18RE0&t=66s

It sound same to most ears. Chord volume little low i think.  RME sound live , chord sound personal.