• Registered: 2023-09-06
  • Posts: 5

Topic: RME ADI-2 DAC FS Weird Issue Won't play unless I restart it.

Hello everyone

I recently purchased a DAC from a friend of a friend. The DAC sounds nice but I have a weird problem.

When I switch on the DAC it starts normally, all looks good. However when I try to play a song I see the song playing in Roon, the streamer's LEDs turns green as it normally should but the DAC won't pass the "traffic" to the AMP. In fact I don't get to see anything on the display, it simply shows as if nothing is playing.
If I switch off the DAC and switch it back on, the music will start playing.
I have to do this every single time I switch on the DAC.
Am I the only one that faces this problem? Is this a hardware problem ?

My setup is like this:
iFi Streamers > USB > ADI 2 DAC FS > Atoll AMP > Focal spealkers.

I tried to manually configured the input to USB but that won't help.

Thanks a lot.

  • KaiS
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  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2020-02-05
  • Posts: 3,126

Re: RME ADI-2 DAC FS Weird Issue Won't play unless I restart it.

Seems like the iFi streamer needs a 2nd “kick” to recognize the ADI-2 DAC as playback device.
Does it have a configuration option to lock the output?

What if you unplug and replug USB instead of power cycle ADI-2?

Press Encoder 1 until the State Overviev Screen appears (manual page 31) to see if ADI-2 receives a signal from USB.

KaiS's Website

  • Registered: 2023-09-06
  • Posts: 5

Re: RME ADI-2 DAC FS Weird Issue Won't play unless I restart it.

Thanks for getting back to me.
I will check manual page 31. I don't feel very confident removing the USB cable while both devices are switched ON.

Thank you again for your prompt reply. Will revert back with feedback.

  • Registered: 2023-09-06
  • Posts: 5

Re: RME ADI-2 DAC FS Weird Issue Won't play unless I restart it.

So I tested yesterday evening.

The USB State is "conn", SR is "768" and State "2/2".
The USB state is connected as it should however the song I was playing as per Roon was 44.1 and by far not 768 the max supported by the ADI-2.

What I tried was to change the USB port in the iFi Streamer, checked for new firmware (already on the latest release), rebooting only the Streamer instead - none of these steps helped.

I had to switch off/on the ADI and the music started playing again - it's doing this only after the ADI is switched off.
I don't have another streamer to test with.
Any idea what might cause this behaviour ?
Below is a link with the photo of the streamer and State Overview on the ADI-2.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AI … authuser=0

5 Reply by KaiS (edited by KaiS 2023-09-08 09:03:16)

  • KaiS
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  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2020-02-05
  • Posts: 3,126

Re: RME ADI-2 DAC FS Weird Issue Won't play unless I restart it.

• Try a different, as short as possible USB cable.

• Try to manually switch input to Coax, then back to USB instead of power-cycling ADI-2 DAC.

• If available, check the streamer for it’s output settings.
iFi Neo e.g. offers (manual pages 5, 7):

V) Audio Output Port Selection
Choose between Analogue or Digital and USB DAC Audio Output.

4. Menu/Output Selector
... Long press: Displays the output setting. Choose between Analogue, Digital, or USB DAC audio (if connected) by turning the knob, and press the knob again to confirm.


The link provided doesn‘t work, so I don‘t know the streamer’s model.

No matter, as a workaround - not a fix - you could:
• try to use SPDIF Optical or Coax as interconnect.
This limits sample rate to 192 kHz, if you don’t have higher rated content...

Quality is the same as USB.


• Furthermore I suggest to contact iFi about the issue.

KaiS's Website

  • Registered: 2023-09-06
  • Posts: 5

Re: RME ADI-2 DAC FS Weird Issue Won't play unless I restart it.

The USB cable is 1M long Audioquest Forest.
The streamer is iFi Zen Stream.
I know that the iFi streamer works fine with the other DAC I used before: iFi Zen DAC Signature V2.

I will try the other steps you presented and get back to you.

Thank you very much again for your prompt reply.

7 Reply by KaiS (edited by KaiS 2023-09-08 11:15:45)

  • KaiS
  • DAW Mastermind
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  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2020-02-05
  • Posts: 3,126

Re: RME ADI-2 DAC FS Weird Issue Won't play unless I restart it.

Funny, the iFi does support 384 kHz max. sample rate, but seems to send 768 kHz.

Checklist gets longer smile :


• No matter what quality a cable is, when issues appear it’s always a number one suspect.
Any short USB cable will do for testing.
BTW: You’re right not hot-plugging the USB, the iFi built in iPurifier can possibly have adverse effects when doing so.


• Did you see, iFi’s lower USB port only is for connections of a DAC.

• Check for latest firmware installed at both ADI-2 DAC and iFi.
ADI-2 shows the firmware version when powering up.


• Try a reset of both ADI-2 DAC and the iFi, fixes everything that might have been screwed:

ADI-2 DAC reset:
While powering up, push and hold the VOL button (NOT the VOLUME dial) and Encoder 1, until you see the message: “Reset done“.
User Setups and EQ Presets are not deleted.

Or a full factory reset:
While powering up, push and hold the VOL button (NOT the VOLUME dial) and Encoder 1 and Encoder 2, until you see the message: “Reset done“.
All user Setups and EQ Presets are deleted.
Take notes before if you want to keep some.


iFi Factory Reset:
Long press for 15 seconds with a paper clip [reset hole in the back] and WAIT for ~5mins
DO NOT POWER OFF!
**Loss of power during this period may damage your device and leave it unusable.

KaiS's Website

  • Registered: 2023-09-06
  • Posts: 5

Re: RME ADI-2 DAC FS Weird Issue Won't play unless I restart it.

Hey guys, quick update. The problem doesn't seem to be the RME. Though it's a bit weird.
Whenever I switch on the Zen Stream it automatically switches to SPIDF (though the saved config is USB). It was not doing this with the iFi DAC.

Thanks @KaiS for your patience and help.