Topic: ADI-2 DAC FS Vs ADI-2 Pro FS R BE for semi-portable mastering rig

Hi I'm setting up a semi-portable mastering rig. Please can someone give me some advice on which if these units is best for headphone reference using either Audeze LCD-X or Heddphone headphones that can run balanced or unbalanced.

Does running phones in balanced mode on the Pro make any real world difference? Especially in terms of transient speed, clarity, depth and tightness of bass etc. I don't know of any studios that run their headphones balanced, but if there is real world benefit then great.

What I'm really interested in is:

1. Do they both sound identical and run the same chips etc. in the headphone out.
2. Do they both sound identical and run the same chips etc. in the main balanced XLR outs?

I know about the other technical differences, ports, oversampling, physical outs etc. etc. but I'm only interested in any difference in sound quality performance in a single headphone out and the main balanced outs.

Thanks.

2 (edited by KaiS 2022-11-20 23:06:55)

Re: ADI-2 DAC FS Vs ADI-2 Pro FS R BE for semi-portable mastering rig

DrO3k wrote:

... using either Audeze LCD-X or Heddphone headphones that can run balanced or unbalanced.

Does running phones in balanced mode on the Pro make any real world difference?

I had the HEDDphone, and have various AUDEZE ‘phones too.
I did those tests.


There are 2 common myths circulating through the audiophile world:


1. You’d need tons of power to properly drive headphones to best sound.


This is total nonsense.

A good Solid State amp like the ADI-2 has almost no interaction with the connected headphones, up to the point of it’s maximum power.

Practically, even with low sensitive ’phones like the HEDDphone and the AUDEZE stuff, only a few milli-Watts (few thousands of a Watt) are needed to drive them to very high levels.



2. Balanced amps sound different and better.


The funny thing:
Using a balanced cable on an unbalanced output can sound slightly different, because the ground wire, common for left and right of an unbalanced cable, ruins the L/R crosstalk.

But - ONLY if the cable uses a single common ground wire from the plug to the splitter.
A lot of ‘phones use fully separated wires to left and right, no crosstalk then.


The amp output usually doesn’t have this problem, so no advantage for balanced amp out except up to 6 dB louder.
Which you don’t need, see above.

So it’s the cable configuration that makes the difference.


All the above is confirmed here from practical listening, blind A/B.

DrO3k wrote:

1. Do they both sound identical and run the same chips etc. in the headphone out.
2. Do they both sound identical and run the same chips etc. in the main balanced XLR outs?

DAC chips are different, analog chips the same.

Sound? Don’t know, only have the Pro.
I wouldn’t expect a significant sound difference.

Choose by the features.

Re: ADI-2 DAC FS Vs ADI-2 Pro FS R BE for semi-portable mastering rig

Thanks Kai, that is very helpful.

KaiS wrote:

I had the HEDDphone, and have various AUDEZE ‘phones too.
I did those tests.

Off topic, but can I ask why you got rid of the HEDDphone? I need a headphone with fast transients, especially in the LF, so that I can easily hear small adjustments to compression etc. Do you have an opinion on the HEDDphone vs AUDEZE in this respect?

There is a lot of hype and myth around both 'phones and I am not in a position to demo before I buy them. The AUDEZE LCD-X is used in a lot of studios, the HEDD not so much. Do you have an opinion on which is easier to master on?

KaiS wrote:

Using a balanced cable on an unbalanced output can sound slightly different, because the ground wire, common for left and right of an unbalanced cable, ruins the L/R crosstalk.

But - ONLY if the cable uses a single common ground wire from the plug to the splitter.
A lot of ‘phones use fully separated wires to left and right, no crosstalk then.

So it’s the cable configuration that makes the difference.

What is the cable configuration on the AUDEZE and HEDDphones?

Thanks.

4 (edited by KaiS 2022-11-21 15:43:30)

Re: ADI-2 DAC FS Vs ADI-2 Pro FS R BE for semi-portable mastering rig

You can read my personal opinion about HEDDphone here, specially in the context it being marketed as studio monitor.

Keep in mind headphones in general are a VERY personal thing, other’s opinions and recommendations mustn’t fit to you:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/hedd-an … t-15914826


I don‘t have the AUDEZE LCD-X, but the general house sound of AUDEZE doesn‘t fit my taste for a studio monitor either.
For music listening it‘s a largely different story.


The only headphones I do use for mix/mastering is the Drop / Hifiman HE-4XX.
It has all the typical planar-magnetic qualities, tonality is close to the well-reputated Sennheiser HD-650.

If you read the reviews, there are some mechanical issues.
Not here at my place, but it makes it hard to fully recommend them in this light.
On the other hand at $149 one can’t complain IMO.
Sometimes good sound isn‘t a matter of price.


In fact I did mix and master a whole percussion-heavy album on them, and it turned out very nice and punchy.


Remember: each out-of-normal specific characteristics of your monitor will make it’s way, inverted, into your production’s sound.

E.g., if your monitor is extremely, unusual resolving in the bass, your mix will be muddy and crowded there, because no warning light goes on.


HEDDphone and AUDEZE cables are both separated 2-wire from plug to each cup, 4-wire in total, no crosstalk.

Re: ADI-2 DAC FS Vs ADI-2 Pro FS R BE for semi-portable mastering rig

KaiS wrote:

You can read my personal opinion about HEDDphone here, specially in the context it being marketed as studio monitor.

Keep in mind headphones in general are a VERY personal thing, other’s options and recommendations mustn’t fit to you:
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/hedd-an … t-15914826


I don‘t have the AUDEZE LCD-X, but the general house sound of AUDEZE doesn‘t fit my taste for a studio monitor either.
For music listening it‘s a largely different story.


The only headphones I do use for mix/mastering is the Drop / Hifiman HE-4XX.
If you read the reviews, there are some mechanical quality issues.
Not here at my place, but it makes it hard to recommend them in this light.
On the other hand at $149 one can’t complain IMO.

In fact I did mix and master a whole percussion-heavy album on them, and it turned out very nice and punchy.


Remember: each out-of-normal specific characteristics of you monitor will make it’s way, inverted, into your production sound.

E.g., if your monitor is extremely, unusual resolving in the bass, your mix will be muddy and crowded there, because no warning light goes on.


HEDDphone and AUDEZE cables are both separated 2-wire from plug to each cup, 4-wire in total, no crosstalk.

Thank you, again very useful.

Re: ADI-2 DAC FS Vs ADI-2 Pro FS R BE for semi-portable mastering rig

Added some info, please re-read.