• Registered: 2022-03-25
  • Posts: 5

Topic: ADI-2 DAC FS Sample rate / bit depth / playback in Windows

Hi,

I just got my brand new ADI-2 DAC FS. I already love it, however one thing is a bit frustrating.

I tried to have bit perfect playback / auto sample rate switching to work properly in Windows. However it is not working in each cases.

In foobar2000 if I select WASAPI (push), it works like a charm, but in order to do so the output data format needs to be set to 32bit.

In programs that does not have an option to set bit depth, it just not working. No matter if I use exclusive mode (aka WASAPI).

I tried Amazon Music, but its Exclusive mode is broken, not working with other DACs either.

PowerDVD works only if I connect the DAC through S/PDIF optical, which led me to a recognition that the main cause is that the bit depth in Windows cannot be set to 24 bits, only if using the S/PDIF as it has a maximum bit depth of 24bit.

So my question would be, using a USB cable is it possible to add the option in Windows to select not only 32bit depth as default format but 16 and 24 bits too? I saw that other 32bit DAC has an option to select these too.

Thanks for your answer,
Balint

  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2007-04-10
  • Posts: 9,548

Re: ADI-2 DAC FS Sample rate / bit depth / playback in Windows

I'm not sure what you'd expect such a setting to do in terms of bit perfect playback (of what kind of source signal?)...

Regards
Daniel Fuchs
RME

RME Support's Website

  • Registered: 2022-03-25
  • Posts: 5

Re: ADI-2 DAC FS Sample rate / bit depth / playback in Windows

It seems like sample rate switching only works in foobar if I use the USB cable, because in foobar you can select 32bit as output data format.
In other applications you cannot choose what output format (bit depth) you want to use, so the application tries to output 16-bit or 24-bit data format (based on the source) however the ADI-2 would like to get 32bit stream and as such exclusive mode (WASAPI) stops working and it just continues to operate in shared mode. Therefore sample rate switching or bit perfect playback does not work.
As soon as I start using the optical cable (S/PDIF) the windows settings on that output allows me to select 16bit and 24bit formats and it looks like this changes how the ADI-2 can cooperate with Windows.

So my assumption is that if there would be an option in Windows to change the default format to 16/24bit depth, not only 32bit, it might fix everyones problem with bit perfect playback.

4 Reply by takacs.balint (edited by takacs.balint 2022-03-28 13:14:36)

  • Registered: 2022-03-25
  • Posts: 5

Re: ADI-2 DAC FS Sample rate / bit depth / playback in Windows

Now this is getting more interesting.
Tested automatic sample rate switching in Qubuz and Tidal too.

Sample rate switching in
- Qubuz works only with USB connection in WASAPI Exclusive mode, but not with SPDIF
- Tidal works only with SPDIF, but not with USB connection
- Amazon Music Unlimited is not working either way
- iTunes (aka Apple Music) is not working either way
- PowerDVD works only with SPDIF, but not with USB connection
- Foobar works both USB and SPDIF

Starting to think that this is indeed software related issue, not hardware, but still driver should worth checking.

  • From: Norway
  • Registered: 2021-06-21
  • Posts: 396

Re: ADI-2 DAC FS Sample rate / bit depth / playback in Windows

takacs.balint wrote:

Now this is getting more interesting.
Tested automatic sample rate switching in Qubuz and Tidal too.

Sample rate switching in
- Qubuz works only with USB connection in WASAPI Exclusive mode, but not with SPDIF
- Tidal works only with SPDIF, but not with USB connection
- Amazon Music Unlimited is not working either way
- iTunes (aka Apple Music) is not working either way
- PowerDVD works only with SPDIF, but not with USB connection
- Foobar works both USB and SPDIF

Starting to think that this is indeed software related issue, not hardware, but still driver should worth checking.

If spdif output doesnt work how can it be an RME issue.? That would be SW or drivers for your PCs internal soundcard. Either it sends a valid signal or not, which your dac will pick up. Samplerates 32 - 192 for spdif. USB modes are explained back to front on the forum, so dig in!
I have JRiver with asio drivers, super setup. Very smooth SR change. I would never go back to windows drivers again for music playback except occasional Spotify sessions. You know there is a reason hires dacs come with proprietary drivers. If windows could handle this itself you wouldnt need it..

ADI-2 DAC, ADI-2 PRO, DigifaceUSB, UCXII, ARC, HEGEL.h80, KEF.ls50, HD650, ie400pro _,.\''/.,_

6 Reply by KaiS (edited by KaiS 2022-03-28 22:59:30)

  • KaiS
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2020-02-05
  • Posts: 3,112

Re: ADI-2 DAC FS Sample rate / bit depth / playback in Windows

USB is ADI-2 (or Windows CC-) driver related.

But SPDIF is completely independent from ADI-2.
ADI-2 locks to the SPDIF samplerate, whatever that is.

KaiS's Website

7 Reply by takacs.balint (edited by takacs.balint 2022-05-20 08:54:18)

  • Registered: 2022-03-25
  • Posts: 5

Re: ADI-2 DAC FS Sample rate / bit depth / playback in Windows

This was what I guessed and was saying as well. I checked a couple of streaming services, which works in bit-perfect mode. Please check:
https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=35066