• mavck
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  • Registered: 2022-03-01
  • Posts: 22

Topic: AKM to ESS change... permanent?

Hi.
I am ready to be disappointed, but I would like to know if the switch to ESS is permanent or if AKM can resume production RME would be back to their original design, which I guess had a purpose to begin with!

Thanks

2 Reply by MC

  • MC
  • MC
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  • Registered: 2007-04-06
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Re: AKM to ESS change... permanent?

And what product are you talking about?

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

3 Reply by AboveAndBelow (edited by AboveAndBelow 2022-10-01 16:13:53)

  • Registered: 2022-09-17
  • Posts: 14

Re: AKM to ESS change... permanent?

Will AKM resume production of the chips previously in the UFXII/  UFX+ (AK5388AEQ and AK4414EQ from what i read)

Or is the change to ESS permanent for those interfaces

Or yet is it possible RME upgrades to newer AKM chips ?

4 Reply by MC

  • MC
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Re: AKM to ESS change... permanent?

Everything is possible and partly happening already. Please note that both AK5388 and AK4414 have been cancelled by AKM, so alternatives are ending production or completely redesigning the product as there are no direct replacements available.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

5 Reply by AboveAndBelow (edited by AboveAndBelow 2022-10-02 17:11:51)

  • Registered: 2022-09-17
  • Posts: 14

Re: AKM to ESS change... permanent?

Ok thanks, so since UFX+ is discontinued, what are the changes in UFXII hardware revision 7, still ESS ?

6 Reply by MC

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Re: AKM to ESS change... permanent?

AK4490REQ, lots of. And AK5574 for input.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • Sky
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  • Registered: 2022-06-30
  • Posts: 17

Re: AKM to ESS change... permanent?

Greetings Matthias, I am deciding between UFX II or UFX III and am wondering, will the newest UFX II hardware revisions make the two units similar except for USB3 and MADI in the UFX III? E.g. has SteadyClockFS made it into the UFX II? Sky

  • Registered: 2023-08-18
  • Posts: 1

Re: AKM to ESS change... permanent?

I have a more recent RME Babyface Pro FS which I know it uses AKM AD and ESS DA as I asked support mainly out of curiosity. Is there really that much of a difference? As I had another FS version a few years ago which I stupidly sold. It such a well engineered piece of hardware with incredible clean audio and just works. And I am struggling notice. Why do others prefer AKM chips?

Lb
  • Registered: 2023-05-05
  • Posts: 5

Re: AKM to ESS change... permanent?

luke.bloomfield wrote:

I have a more recent RME Babyface Pro FS which I know it uses AKM AD and ESS DA as I asked support mainly out of curiosity. Is there really that much of a difference? As I had another FS version a few years ago which I stupidly sold. It such a well engineered piece of hardware with incredible clean audio and just works. And I am struggling notice. Why do others prefer AKM chips?


If your ears are sharp enough,
The sound of ESS and AKM is not the same,
(Even though they may measure the same in spectrum tests)
There will be a fundamental difference in the essence of the sound.

  • Registered: 2023-06-30
  • Posts: 62

Re: AKM to ESS change... permanent?

bassfatcat wrote:

There will be a fundamental difference in the essence of the sound.

Wow.

  • Registered: 2019-03-12
  • Posts: 42

Re: AKM to ESS change... permanent?

Maybe when the audio signal is measured (using spectrum analysers, etc), but any difference would be inaudible to the human ear. If the chip was somehow inferior in sound quality , or coloured in some way,  the RME developers wouldn't have used them- this is a big investment which wouldn't have been taken lightly.
It's like UA users making a case for their superior fidelity over other interfaces-spinning the test data to 'prove' something. Total nonsense