1. Do you have ADI-2's Stereo/Mono option set to Mono maybe?

2. Does ADI-2's headphone out sound the same as Cavalli's?

3. If no, next step would be to switch inputs on the Cavalli, maybe the Balanced In sounds different.

4. You can run the RME Bit-Test to make sure ADI-2 fs gets an unchanged signal.

Similar steps apply to the Aune as far as applicable, specially make sure the Windows path is free of effects.

It might even be possible Aune changes the sound in the way you described.
A clean feed RME ADI-2 fs, with it's DSPs disabled, at least does not change the signal in any way.
ADI-2 can serve as reference for neutral sound.

Your mileage may vary but allow general side comment: staging two phones preamps makes no sense (to me).

I think the best strategy is to avoid too many analog circuits in the signal path.
I think its better to send audio signals digitally as far as you can, so that audio stays "bit perfect"
up to the last device in the chain, where you finally perform the D/A conversion in best quality.

Normally the ADI-2 DAC would be the last device in such a chain.
And being able to perform Bit perfect tests up to this device is I think also a major win.

If you would have wanted balanced phones connection then I would have proposed you to get
the ADI-2 Pro FS R BE (with the new DAC chip and the remote control), which allows you to connect
phones balanced directly.

And .. correct me if I should be wrong ... AFAIR PEQ and dynamic loudness of an ADI-2 Pro FS R BE
could also be used when looping digital audio through it: i.e. ADAT/SPDIF IN -> ADI-2 Pro * -> ADAT/SPDIF out.

I used ADI-2 Pro (old version, non-FS), ADI-2 DAC (old version), ADI-2 Pro FS R BE new version.
My signal chain: TV / BluRay/ PC (UFX+) -> TOSLINK 4:1 Switcher -> ADI-2 "*" -> Accuphase E-600 Class-A -> B&W 803 D3.

I compared the ADI-2 * side by side with the built-in Accuphase DAC-40 card (the Class-A amp has two module slots and you can feed it with DAC or phono expansion cards).

For all ADI's differences to the internal Accuphase DAC-40 module inside of the amp were extremely small and hard to hear.
Sometimes it appeared to me the internal DAC-40 sounded like the ADI-2 in NOS mode.

IF there would be such an effect, that the soundstage is thing with the ADI, then you can be sure that I would hear this.
Actually the opposite is the case in my setup, as I am having a really deep and wide soundstage.

The music completely detaches itself from the speakers and I have the illusion of another room in my room.
The stage can be very deep and also very wide depending on how the mix is.
In streamed movies sometimes a car or whatevery moves authentic from right to left through the stereo panorama.
With right I mean even ~1.5, more to the right as the speaker actually is located. So the panorama is really huge.
Its really astonishing and believe me, such a setup makes much fun.

This experience is completely the opposite to what you are telling.
It looks to me that there is something wrong with your setup, but not with the ADI.

EDIT: same positive experience with phones output.
All ADI play very well with i.e. Audeze Planar phones like i.e. LCD-X and for my ears even better with LCD-3 (Alcantara version).

I do not want to convince you or other of anything here ... so please no struggle.
But what you told sounds to me very wrong and doesn't match my experience.
Therefore I wanted to share with you my personal experiences, not more, not less.

EDIT: maybe Curt has an idea where he had similar situations, like missing depth. Maybe it has also to do with the position of the speaker. But its rather unlikely that its the DACs fault. Or you would claim, that Accuphase also build very poor DAC products, maybe

I told you also about depth, please re-read, many thanks for your cooperation.

I prefer to trust my own ears and experience and RME as a renowned manufacturer of professional studio equipment.

RME customers know and appreciate the precise, transparent, non-coloring sound of RME equipment, adding nothing to the audio signal that wasn't there before.

If the sound of the other devices is really that different, then I would think about it a bit if I were you. For me, the thoughts went in a different direction than ragging on RME products.

I don't understand your motivation either. First posting in the forum and just complaining, not only about RME, but also about my equipment. This doesn't sound like a well-founded opinion or a valuable contribution that wants to help other users in any way.

Ok then we had maybe a misunderstanding, enjoy your equipment.

Hello All, thanks for all of the replies. I am not here to cause an argument for or against the RME ADI-2 DAC, I simply do not believe mine is functioning correctly because I am literally loosing complete instruments when using it on both ends of the audio spectrum. For example, highs like trumpets just don't exist when running through the RME and I want to get as much as I can out of it to evaluate it. I've had many DAC's in my life, and I've never heard anything like this in terms of the massive difference.

Perhaps another idea, is there cheap or free software y'all recommend that I can use to visualize the sound coming out of both DAC's and post here? Based on what I am hearing, it should be painfully obvious.

I'm literally running on a full factory reset! Also, I am an engineer by trade and have read most of the manual already. Loved it, was quite impressed by the stories behind the logic throughout.

Congrats Tex!

We knew you'd figure it out!   Enjoy!!!!

Curt

I hear ya, and agree that makes the most sense; but on the unit I have that wasn't the case! I picked it up from another who'd bought it a month or so ago. When first receiving it, I updated the firmware to make sure I was on the latest and then did a full factory reset. I definitely wouldn't have changed the width. I can try a full reset again when I get a chance and report back if it reverts to 0 again.

Thanks MC!

LOL @Noob

Switch OFF Mono “to Left”
“Mono” should be “Off” for stereo, isn’t that obvious?

For balanced headphones mode:

• Setup / Options / Phones / Bal Phones Mode: “ON”.

• You need a special balanced headphones cable, refer to manual page 43 for the configuration.
Both headphones outputs in combined use with 2 TRS (Tip Ring Sleeve) plugs (NOT TS!) form a single (stereo) balanced phones out.
PH 3/4 carries the left, PH 1/2 the right channel.

Balanced headphones does NOT work with a normal unbalanced headphones cable, never, nowhere.

Sidenote:
In my experience you don’t gain any sound improvement with balanced phones on the ADI-2, except for extremly “hard to drive” headphones.
Even AKG’s K-1000 (74 dB / mW 120 Ohms) can happily be driven unbalanced and with an extra (power consuming) sub bass boost.
ADI-2’s headphones outputs are very powerfull in unbalanced mode too.

And you are sure not playing a karaoke CD ?

I would do a total reset in Totalmix,
then reset everything possible in the settings and inside the device, set it to auto-mode.
Special design cable sounds to me just as a top source for problems.
Plug the headphone into the headphone socket directly for test.

my mistake i mean 2x trs plug as recommended