1 Topic by michicaust (edited by michicaust 2023-12-27 12:01:36)

  • Registered: 2019-09-28
  • Posts: 23

Topic: Thinking about replacing my setup with an ADI-2/4 Pro SE

Hello!

my current setup consists of an ADI-2 DAC FS plus a Violectric HPA V550 for driving my headphones with a balanced connection properly.

Now, I am aware of the RME's excellent sound quality (which is why I chose that device) and I am certain the 2/4 Pro will deliver the same level of excellence. I'm very satisfied with the current setup, but I'm also thinking about replacing it with the 2/4 Pro entirely, since it, like the V550, offers a balanced headphone out now and, what triggers me most, the (according to first reviews/measurements) RIAA input for digitizing/listening to vinyl, which would also replace my humble Shiit Mani preamp (and would probably run circles around it without end, too).

So - why, with the exception of RIAA, would I replace my ADI-2 DAC/HPA V550 combo with the ADI-2/4 Pro?
Are the headphone outs of the 2/4 Pro comparably capable to the ones of the Violectric? What differences could I expect, especially with higher-impedance headphones etc.?

Please help me decide. smile

edit: Forgot to mention that my primary use case is "listening to digital sources via headphones with the best possible quality".

Thanks & best regards,

- Michael

Happily using two ADI-2 DACs to enjoy the best thing in life. ^^

2 Reply by KaiS (edited by KaiS 2023-12-27 16:33:59)

  • KaiS
  • DAW Mastermind
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  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2020-02-05
  • Posts: 3,126

Re: Thinking about replacing my setup with an ADI-2/4 Pro SE

michicaust wrote:

Are the headphone outs of the 2/4 Pro comparably capable to the ones of the Violectric? What differences could I expect, especially with higher-impedance headphones etc.?

Just looking at the specs - the few Violectric publishes – both headphones outputs are on par, power-wise.

Violectric 21 V into 600 Ohm, ADI-2/4 Pro SE 18.5 V – a neglect able difference of 1.1 dB.
Enough to drive every headphone exist to truly earsplitting levels.


All others of ADI-2’s specs (that Violectric doesn’t publish) are far beyond good and bad anyway.


It’s the convenience of an all-in-one solution that creates the beauty of the ADI-2 series.

Additionally to it’s 4-fold digital I/O’s (USB, AES, Coax, Optical) ADI-2/4 Pro SE combines:
   Analog Preamp
+ AD Converter
+ digital RIAA EQ
+ comprehensive DSP processing
+ DA Converter
+ headphone amp.
This incorporates a lot of advantages compared to separated, single units.

Specifically if the combo is as well though out as ADI-2.

To name just two:
- No complicated gain staging for separate units.
- No lots of cabeling / interconnections that can introduce signal degradations of all kind.



ADI-2/4 Pro SE’s digital RIAA configuration, built in hardware, is unique:
Preamplification -> AD Conversion -> digital RIAA EQ - has, opposed to the typical solution of analog RIAA filtering, the objective advantage of completely abandoning the filter capacitors from the signal path.

Every capacitor in the world, even the most expensive ones, adds nonlinear distortions to the signal, an objective, measurable fact.
Using capacitors as filters is the worst case application in this regard.

ADI-2/4 Pro SE’s digital RIAA concept elegantly circumvents this.


Personally I’ve come back to listen to vinyl after a long time, since I got my ADI-2 Pro SE.

KaiS's Website

  • Registered: 2019-09-28
  • Posts: 23

Re: Thinking about replacing my setup with an ADI-2/4 Pro SE

KaiS wrote:

Personally I’ve come back to listen to vinyl after a long time, since I got my ADI-2 Pro SE.

Thanks for the detailed and convincing reinforcement of my thoughts and hopes for that idea.  A lot closer to actually pulling the trigger now. smile

Happily using two ADI-2 DACs to enjoy the best thing in life. ^^
  • Registered: 2019-09-28
  • Posts: 23

Re: Thinking about replacing my setup with an ADI-2/4 Pro SE

KaiS wrote:

Violectric 21 V into 600 Ohm, ADI-2/4 Pro SE 18.5 V – a neglect able difference of 1.1 dB.
Enough to drive every headphone exist to truly earsplitting levels.

Me again,

sorry, I have to come back to this specific topic, I'm probably just a bit slow at the moment, but I can't find that kind of information anywhere in publicly availabe technical specifications about the 2/4 Pro, or rather, I have no clue about how to derive that information from the data I've found.

Is there a short way to explain how to get to these figures, or what could I look for when trying to reproduce these numbers?

Thanks again & best regards,

- Michael

Happily using two ADI-2 DACs to enjoy the best thing in life. ^^

5 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2023-12-28 20:57:36)

  • ramses
  • DAW Mastermind
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  • From: UTC+1
  • Registered: 2012-10-14
  • Posts: 12,082

Re: Thinking about replacing my setup with an ADI-2/4 Pro SE

Take a look into the manual.

https://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/adi24pro_d.pdf
https://www.rme-audio.de/downloads/adi24pro_e.pdf

Chapter 33 - technical specifications - contains an overview about all relevant specs…

There are also parts in the manual detailing some aspects. You will find it … (if you look for it).

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13
  • Registered: 2022-01-25
  • Posts: 25

Re: Thinking about replacing my setup with an ADI-2/4 Pro SE

KaiS wrote:
michicaust wrote:

Are the headphone outs of the 2/4 Pro comparably capable to the ones of the Violectric? What differences could I expect, especially with higher-impedance headphones etc.?

Just looking at the specs - the few Violectric publishes – both headphones outputs are on par, power-wise.

Violectric 21 V into 600 Ohm, ADI-2/4 Pro SE 18.5 V – a neglect able difference of 1.1 dB.
Enough to drive every headphone exist to truly earsplitting levels.


All others of ADI-2’s specs (that Violectric doesn’t publish) are far beyond good and bad anyway.


It’s the convenience of an all-in-one solution that creates the beauty of the ADI-2 series.

Additionally to it’s 4-fold digital I/O’s (USB, AES, Coax, Optical) ADI-2/4 Pro SE combines:
   Analog Preamp
+ AD Converter
+ digital RIAA EQ
+ comprehensive DSP processing
+ DA Converter
+ headphone amp.
This incorporates a lot of advantages compared to separated, single units.

Specifically if the combo is as well though out as ADI-2.

To name just two:
- No complicated gain staging for separate units.
- No lots of cabeling / interconnections that can introduce signal degradations of all kind.



ADI-2/4 Pro SE’s digital RIAA configuration, built in hardware, is unique:
Preamplification -> AD Conversion -> digital RIAA EQ - has, opposed to the typical solution of analog RIAA filtering, the objective advantage of completely abandoning the filter capacitors from the signal path.

Every capacitor in the world, even the most expensive ones, adds nonlinear distortions to the signal, an objective, measurable fact.
Using capacitors as filters is the worst case application in this regard.

ADI-2/4 Pro SE’s digital RIAA concept elegantly circumvents this.


Personally I’ve come back to listen to vinyl after a long time, since I got my ADI-2 Pro SE.

I have the ADI-2 PRO FS R, I use it primarily for listening and recording vinyl and love it, I wish that I knew about the 2/4 before purchasing the ADI-2 PRO FS R