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RME User Forum → Miscellaneous → Line Level Balanced Preamp
For some reason, when it comes for precision, I trust the gears used in studios. With that, I wanted to check if there is anything available under RME that can be used as balanced line level preamplifier in my music system? I am looking for a dead-neutral-transparent preamplifier.
In principle, you can use any RME AD/DA converter. Or even recording interfaces that have the desired number of analog inputs and outputs.
How many analog and digital ports do you need and what do you want to connect and how?
In this respect, it would be interesting to know what your overall concept looks like because a converter alone might not get you anywhere.
Maybe, like me, you want to use a PC or laptop as a music player, which raises questions about which recording interface to use on the computer and which digital cabling to use to get the audio distributed to the next device in the playback chain.
Just before the HiFi system you can also place devices like the Optosel 4:1 TOSLINK Switcher to connect up to four devices with optical output to the optical (ADAT/SPDIF) input of an ADI-2 Pro (recording interface from computer as player, TV, BlurayPlayer, streamer).
This is my basic setup in the living room of recording and hi-fi area.
In principle, you can use any RME AD/DA converter. Or even recording interfaces that have the desired number of analog inputs and outputs.
How many analog and digital ports do you need and what do you want to connect and how?
In this respect, it would be interesting to know what your overall concept looks like because a converter alone might not get you anywhere.
Maybe, like me, you want to use a PC or laptop as a music player, which raises questions about which recording interface to use on the computer and which digital cabling to use to get the audio distributed to the next device in the playback chain.
Just before the HiFi system you can also place devices like the Optosel 4:1 TOSLINK Switcher to connect up to four devices with optical output to the optical (ADAT/SPDIF) input of an ADI-2 Pro (recording interface from computer as player, TV, BlurayPlayer, streamer).
This is my basic setup in the living room of recording and hi-fi area.
Thanks, ramses. I am looking at something that can control the volume in analog domain and need only two channels. Here is how my setup looks like.
Windows 10 computer > MADIFace USB > RME ADI 642 (AES out) > DAC > power amplifier > speaker. I currently use DAC's volume control that I want to get away from and insert this new device that I am searching for between DAC and power amplifier.
The ADI-2 Pro FS R BE has AES ports, so you can connect it directly to the RME ADI 642.
You can use the ADI-2 Pro FS R BE either
— as preamp and directly connect to the power-amp or
— in front of another preamp of your HiFi (in case you need it still for connecting other analog devices like turntable, tape, etc)
Windows 10 computer > MADIFace USB > RME ADI 642 (AES out) > ADI-2 Pro FS R BE > power amplifier > speaker.
But I do not want to remove my current DAC, it is just that I want to set the volume to max at my DAC and need a preamplifier between my current DAC and power amplifier.
Makes no sense to me. With the ADI-2 Pro you would only add another AD/DA conversion.
Windows 10 computer > MADIFace USB > RME ADI 642 (AES out) > YOUR_DAC > ADI-2 Pro > power amplifier > speaker
What is the exact reason why you want to keep YOUR_DAC?
The sound?
Well, then you need to keep the signal fully digital up to YOUR_DAC and put it just before the power amplifier to make there the final D/A conversion.
Windows 10 computer > MADIFace USB > RME ADI 642 (AES out) > ADI-2 Pro > YOUR_DAC > power amplifier > speaker
And the ADI-2 Pro you would like to have for what? Turning volume in the digital domain and to use dynamic loudness and PEQ ?
And the ADI-2 Pro you would like to have for what? Turning volume in the digital domain and to use dynamic loudness and PEQ ?
ADI-2 Pro is something you suggested(inserted) in my chain.
Yes, I want to retain my current DAC for sound quality. I need a line preamplifier(analog) to insert between my DAC and power amplifier.
Yes I suggested it without knowing your whole signal chain at that point.
If I were you I would check the ADI-2 Pro and try to find out whether it is possible to fully replace your current DAC with it.
I am running the ADI-2 Pro in front of Accuphase E-600 and B&W 803.
Compared the 1st version of ADI-2 Pro (years ago) with the Accu DAC-40 module.
The DAC-40 module sounded a little like ADI-2 Pro in “NOS” mode (D/A converter setting).
For me, the sound quality of the ADI-2 Pro was superb and the ADI-2 Pro also have me more options and quality in terms of better quality when listening at lower volumes due to auto ref level.
In your case, you could also add attenuators, to be able to keep the volume setting at the DAC a bit higher.
As a side note … IMHO, a DAC should not have a sound, it should be a device which does an accurate D/A conversion.
With the ADI-2 DAC / Pro, you get well-designed studio devices.
So … In this regard, the ADI-2 DAC / Pro can't really fail … The final sound is being determined / dominated by speaker, room, amp.
I think you should keep the signal chain as short as possible after the 1st D/A conversion. Ideally, you use the ADI-2 Pro for that purpose. I would give it simply a try and then decide.
Yes, you can't make a good blind test with fast switching, but maybe this is sufficient for you.
RME User Forum → Miscellaneous → Line Level Balanced Preamp
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