• exact
  • AD/DA expert
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2020-01-22
  • Posts: 64

Topic: ADI-2 DAC and a power-amp for the millionth time..

So I've read other topics about this but still kinda confused so I thought I'd just make sure I'm doing this right;

I recently bought a new pair of passive speakers and a power-amp for them. I use the RME as a DAC for the setup. So I can just leave the ADI-2 on auto ref and control the volume from my separate amp and I'm all good? Or do I need to set it up in some other way? I tried reading about the specific volume-levels to make it act as just a DAC but whenever I try to set the ref level and the volume according to the other posts, I see clipping happening on the RME. So if I just leave it on auto ref, I'm all good? Thanks.

  • KaiS
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2020-02-05
  • Posts: 3,120

Re: ADI-2 DAC and a power-amp for the millionth time..

Auto reference level is fine.

Read this, CASE 2, to correctly set it up:

https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.ph … 21#p161721

KaiS's Website

  • exact
  • AD/DA expert
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2020-01-22
  • Posts: 64

Re: ADI-2 DAC and a power-amp for the millionth time..

Thank you very much!

  • N00b
  • N00b
  • MADI hero
  • Offline
  • From: Near Paris, France
  • Registered: 2018-10-03
  • Posts: 460

Re: ADI-2 DAC and a power-amp for the millionth time..

exact wrote:

So I've read other topics about this but still kinda confused so I thought I'd just make sure I'm doing this right;

I recently bought a new pair of passive speakers and a power-amp for them. I use the RME as a DAC for the setup. So I can just leave the ADI-2 on auto ref and control the volume from my separate amp and I'm all good? Or do I need to set it up in some other way? I tried reading about the specific volume-levels to make it act as just a DAC but whenever I try to set the ref level and the volume according to the other posts, I see clipping happening on the RME. So if I just leave it on auto ref, I'm all good? Thanks.

Hi Exact!
If you use the volume control of the integrated  amp (a power amp does not have a volume controller), I would suggest to turn off the Auto Vol Ref on the RME and to use a fix and locked volume on the RME (I would calculat the ideal level volume of the RME depending on the sensitivity of your amp). To convert it: http://www.sengpielaudio.com/calculator-db-volt.htm

And don't worry about the overs: it happens because of the intersample peaks. Just don't go over 0 dB volume setting on the RME and you'll be fine. smile

ADI-2 DAC (with stock PSU) - Neumann KH 310 A monitors - Cheap USB and XLR cables

N00b's Website

  • KaiS
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2020-02-05
  • Posts: 3,120

Re: ADI-2 DAC and a power-amp for the millionth time..

N00b wrote:

If you use the volume control of the integrated  amp (a power amp does not have a volume controller), I would suggest to turn off the Auto Vol Ref on the RME and to use a fix and locked volume on the RME (I would calculat the ideal level volume of the RME depending on the sensitivity of your amp). To convert it: http://www.sengpielaudio.com/calculator-db-volt.htm

The topic starter asked about using ADI-2 with a power amp, not an integrated.
If he mixed this up CASE 1 of the mentioned link is the way to go.

I don’t think a layman has a chance to understand what is going on with the dB calculator.


N00b wrote:

And don't worry about the overs: it happens because of the intersample peaks. Just don't go over 0 dB volume setting on the RME and you'll be fine. smile

Intersample peaks only occur in the analog domain, and don’t hurt if the analog circuit’s part has enough headroom.

To display them ADI-2’s meter would need to work with internal oversampling, which it doesn’t.

If you can see the meter’s red light going on these are not always “overs”, but the digital signal just hitting 0dBfs, full scale.
Quite common with contemporary recordings.

KaiS's Website

6 Reply by N00b (edited by N00b 2021-02-17 13:37:13)

  • N00b
  • N00b
  • MADI hero
  • Offline
  • From: Near Paris, France
  • Registered: 2018-10-03
  • Posts: 460

Re: ADI-2 DAC and a power-amp for the millionth time..

KaiS wrote:
N00b wrote:

If you use the volume control of the integrated  amp (a power amp does not have a volume controller), I would suggest to turn off the Auto Vol Ref on the RME and to use a fix and locked volume on the RME (I would calculat the ideal level volume of the RME depending on the sensitivity of your amp). To convert it: http://www.sengpielaudio.com/calculator-db-volt.htm

The topic starter asked about using ADI-2 with a power amp, not an integrated.
If he mixed this up CASE 1 of the mentioned link is the way to go.

I don’t think a layman has a chance to understand what is going on with the dB calculator.


N00b wrote:

And don't worry about the overs: it happens because of the intersample peaks. Just don't go over 0 dB volume setting on the RME and you'll be fine. smile

Intersample peaks only occur in the analog domain, and don’t hurt if the analog circuit’s part has enough headroom.

To display them ADI-2’s meter would need to work with internal oversampling, which it doesn’t.

If you can see the meter’s red light going on these are not always “overs”, but the digital signal just hitting 0dBfs, full scale.
Quite common with contemporary recordings.

OP posted:

control the volume from my separate amp

so I deduced the amp is indeed an integrated one. wink

For the calculator, it's just to translate the Volt sensitivity of the amp into the dBu of the RME, no need to be an engineer to understand that wink

And for the overs, I don't want to make things more complicated than they are and I would stand with my post:

don't worry about the overs: it happens because of the intersample peaks. Just don't go over 0 dB volume setting on the RME and you'll be fine.

ADI-2 DAC (with stock PSU) - Neumann KH 310 A monitors - Cheap USB and XLR cables

N00b's Website

  • exact
  • AD/DA expert
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2020-01-22
  • Posts: 64

Re: ADI-2 DAC and a power-amp for the millionth time..

Oh sorry, yeah it is indeed an integrated amp, NAD C 315BEE. So quality-wise, does it matter which unit I use to control the volume? Seems like it doesn't, just which one I want to use?

  • N00b
  • N00b
  • MADI hero
  • Offline
  • From: Near Paris, France
  • Registered: 2018-10-03
  • Posts: 460

Re: ADI-2 DAC and a power-amp for the millionth time..

exact wrote:

Oh sorry, yeah it is indeed an integrated amp, NAD C 315BEE. So quality-wise, does it matter which unit I use to control the volume? Seems like it doesn't, just which one I want to use?

If you use the NAD to handle the volume, you won't be able to use some features of the RME (like the clever volume setting with Auto-Vol-Ref and the very useful dynamic loudness).

ADI-2 DAC (with stock PSU) - Neumann KH 310 A monitors - Cheap USB and XLR cables

N00b's Website

  • exact
  • AD/DA expert
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2020-01-22
  • Posts: 64

Re: ADI-2 DAC and a power-amp for the millionth time..

Got it, thanks for the clarification

10 Reply by KaiS (edited by KaiS 2021-02-17 19:00:31)

  • KaiS
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2020-02-05
  • Posts: 3,120

Re: ADI-2 DAC and a power-amp for the millionth time..

exact wrote:

Oh sorry, yeah it is indeed an integrated amp, NAD C 315BEE. So quality-wise, does it matter which unit I use to control the volume? Seems like it doesn't, just which one I want to use?

You still have both options, “CASE 1” and “CASE 2“, from the linked setup guide.


It’s more a matter of convenience which one to choose.
Sound quality is excellent both ways.


I.e., if you have other sources like a vinyl disc player or radio tuner etc. connected, it’s better to use the NAD’s volume control (CASE 1) and adjust the ADI-2 to a reference level that about matches when switching around sources.


If ADI-2 is your only source, the NAD can be use similar to a normal power amp - in fact it’s technically not different, except for it’s switching matrix.
This would be CASE 2.

KaiS's Website