• Registered: 2024-06-14
  • Posts: 1

Topic: Best hardware for music playback sound quality

Hi,
I'm considering buying RME Fireface UCX II audio interface for my home studio, and Sennheiser HD 660S2 or HD 800S headphones. Fireface UCX II has headphone output so I can edit audio on it and play music, too.
My question is about music playback — if I want to just enjoy music playback on those headphones, will ADI-2 Pro FS R Black Edition bring any improvement over Fireface UCX II or they sound the same?

2 Reply by ramses (edited by ramses 2024-06-14 11:09:41)

  • ramses
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: UTC+1
  • Registered: 2012-10-14
  • Posts: 13,182

Re: Best hardware for music playback sound quality

Most likely very similar, with little exceptions.

ADI-2 Pro FS R BE supports different D/A filter and has a different quite very useful feature set.

Ideal is the combination of both, recording interface with TM FX and then e.g. ADI-2 Pro FS R BE for the monitoring.

Maybe also of interest .. Kai's findings regarding the effect of different D/A filter:

https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.ph … 73#p218673

We talk here only about nuances which even not everybody can recognize.
Maybe only with good / trained ears, with a very good setup and in a treated room.
UCX II will surely not be disappointing in any way...

This is only a "subjective estimation", I never had an UCX II.
You would need to compare side by side, blind test, at absolutely the same volume levels as louder sounds better.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub14