Topic: How to connect my RME ADI-2 DAC FS digitally with studio monitors

Right now the RME ADI-2 DAC FS is connected via XLR with mine KS Digital A200 mk2 monitors, but I would very much to test them when connected digitally (AES, spdif). Can I connect the RME ADI-2 DAC FS with something like a Mutec MC-1.1+ AES Converter and go from there into the A200 monitors? Or could I use another additional device to be able to do this. The RME ADI-2 DAC FS does not have any fitting outs, like the pro version.

2 (edited by waedi 2024-08-16 18:36:11)

Re: How to connect my RME ADI-2 DAC FS digitally with studio monitors

The SPDIF coax output can connect directly with a cable to AES input no problem, use a cinch to XLR cable.

https://thumbs.static-thomann.de/thumb/padthumb600x600/pics/bdb/_18/180802/11459126_800.jpg

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue

Re: How to connect my RME ADI-2 DAC FS digitally with studio monitors

Thanks a lot, this would be also a cheap solution. Sorry for a possibly dumb question, but the SPDIF on the RME ADI-2 DAC FS is an 'in' and not an 'out', or does it not matter here?

Re: How to connect my RME ADI-2 DAC FS digitally with studio monitors

waedi wrote:

The SPDIF coax output can connect directly with a cable to AES input no problem, use a cinch to XLR cable.

https://thumbs.static-thomann.de/thumb/padthumb600x600/pics/bdb/_18/180802/11459126_800.jpg

The RME-ADI-2 DAC FS has no digital output, apart from USB when recording from SPDIF input.

5 (edited by Muffin 2024-08-16 18:46:53)

Re: How to connect my RME ADI-2 DAC FS digitally with studio monitors

kirmizz25 wrote:

Thanks a lot, this would be also a cheap solution. Sorry for a possibly dumb question, but the SPDIF on the RME ADI-2 DAC FS is an 'in' and not an 'out', or does it not matter here?

It's not dumb at all! The RME ADI-2 DAC FS does not have a SPDIF output as you noted.

Re: How to connect my RME ADI-2 DAC FS digitally with studio monitors

kirmizz25 wrote:

Right now the RME ADI-2 DAC FS is connected via XLR with mine KS Digital A200 mk2 monitors, but I would very much to test them when connected digitally (AES, spdif). Can I connect the RME ADI-2 DAC FS with something like a Mutec MC-1.1+ AES Converter and go from there into the A200 monitors? Or could I use another additional device to be able to do this. The RME ADI-2 DAC FS does not have any fitting outs, like the pro version.

It's not likely that you'll notice any difference in sound quality, if there is any improvement to begin with, which I doubt.

Better spend your money on something else than the Mutec MC-1.1+ AES Converter. By selling your RME ADI-2 DAC FS and not buying the Mutec you're not that far off to buy the Pro version.

Perhaps it's the monitors you're not really happy with, as food for thought.

Re: How to connect my RME ADI-2 DAC FS digitally with studio monitors

Muffin wrote:
kirmizz25 wrote:

Thanks a lot, this would be also a cheap solution. Sorry for a possibly dumb question, but the SPDIF on the RME ADI-2 DAC FS is an 'in' and not an 'out', or does it not matter here?

It's not dumb at all! The RME ADI-2 DAC FS does not have a SPDIF output as you noted.

OK, but can I use it as you said?

Re: How to connect my RME ADI-2 DAC FS digitally with studio monitors

Muffin wrote:
kirmizz25 wrote:

Right now the RME ADI-2 DAC FS is connected via XLR with mine KS Digital A200 mk2 monitors, but I would very much to test them when connected digitally (AES, spdif). Can I connect the RME ADI-2 DAC FS with something like a Mutec MC-1.1+ AES Converter and go from there into the A200 monitors? Or could I use another additional device to be able to do this. The RME ADI-2 DAC FS does not have any fitting outs, like the pro version.

It's not likely that you'll notice any difference in sound quality, if there is any improvement to begin with, which I doubt.

Better spend your money on something else than the Mutec MC-1.1+ AES Converter. By selling your RME ADI-2 DAC FS and not buying the Mutec you're not that far off to buy the Pro version.

Perhaps it's the monitors you're not really happy with, as food for thought.

I just want to go to the optimum, if you only need two cables like you said, its worth a try.

9 (edited by waedi 2024-08-16 19:50:16)

Re: How to connect my RME ADI-2 DAC FS digitally with studio monitors

kirmizz25 wrote:

Thanks a lot, this would be also a cheap solution. Sorry for a possibly dumb question, but the SPDIF on the RME ADI-2 DAC FS is an 'in' and not an 'out', or does it not matter here?

Apologize ! I'm so dumb ! Of course it will not work with a cable, you need another interface.
Best you can do, connect the monitors XLR analog.
Otherwise upgrade to ADI-2 Pro or UCX ll

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue

10 (edited by Muffin 2024-08-16 20:50:13)

Re: How to connect my RME ADI-2 DAC FS digitally with studio monitors

kirmizz25 wrote:
Muffin wrote:
kirmizz25 wrote:

Right now the RME ADI-2 DAC FS is connected via XLR with mine KS Digital A200 mk2 monitors, but I would very much to test them when connected digitally (AES, spdif). Can I connect the RME ADI-2 DAC FS with something like a Mutec MC-1.1+ AES Converter and go from there into the A200 monitors? Or could I use another additional device to be able to do this. The RME ADI-2 DAC FS does not have any fitting outs, like the pro version.

It's not likely that you'll notice any difference in sound quality, if there is any improvement to begin with, which I doubt.

Better spend your money on something else than the Mutec MC-1.1+ AES Converter. By selling your RME ADI-2 DAC FS and not buying the Mutec you're not that far off to buy the Pro version.

Perhaps it's the monitors you're not really happy with, as food for thought.

I just want to go to the optimum, if you only need two cables like you said, its worth a try.

Who am I to stand in the way of experimenting? :-)

Inserting the Mutec between the ADI-2 DAC and your monitors, as you describe, only make sense if the AD converter in the Mutec performs audibly better than the AD converter in your monitors. As I wrote earlier I sort of doubt that, and in any case, the improvement is likely to be very small if there is any. And if you want to use AES just sell your ADI-2 DAC and buy the ADI-2 Pro to have no extra DA-AD conversion at all. I don't think you'll get any improvements but at least the signal chain is all digital to your monitors.

You've not mention anything about your room and placement, but experimenting with placement of your monitors and listening position is a much better way to improve audio quality than just inserting a Mutec. You can buy an inexpensive UMIK-1 measurement microphone and use the PEQ in the ADI-2 DAC to knock down a few bass peaks. You even have some money over to spend on room treatments. This likely will make a much bigger improvement in your playback audio quality.

11 (edited by ramses 2024-08-16 22:07:01)

Re: How to connect my RME ADI-2 DAC FS digitally with studio monitors

RME's reference converters are of a very high technical standard. If you have read the forum carefully in the last few weeks, you may have noticed that even Bob Katz is very satisfied with the quality of these devices.
https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.ph … 89#p218689

In the converter shootout, the somewhat older ADI-2 Pro FS with the older AKM converters performed very well compared to expensive converters such as HEDD and Lavry.
See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doHG32aXBDY

I think that it probably won't make much difference if you carry out the D/A conversion in the active monitors. There will be no night/day differences just because of the different converters.

I suspect that you will miss some quality of the RME converters in terms of the analog stage behind the DAC chip. Because here, the implementation in the RME converters is simply first class.
Or does your active monitor offer you 4 different reference levels and features such as Auto Ref Level, which allow you to automatically switch between Ref Levels? In the ADI-2 DAC/Pro this is to automatically get the best SNR and dynamics over a wide volume range. See my Excel here to show it to you more clearly, what the effect of this is.
https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/attachme … v002-xlsx/

To have the D/A conversion outside the active monitor can be an advantage, as then you are flexible in terms of D/A conversion. If you do this in the active monitor, then you are stuck forever with this one.
Furthermore, you will most likely have no possibility to change between D/A filter which can give you benefits regarding the location of percussive instruments in the stereo panorama (e.g., the slow filter, as KaiS already reported).

Only my opinion (and gut feeling to this topic). At least, my experience with the D/A conversion of the ADI-2 Pro FS [R BE] is very positive. For example, in A/B comparison to the Accuphase DAC-40 module (for the E-600 Class-A amplifier) it was a bit more transparent and had better resolution. The DAC-40 module sounded like an ADI-2 Pro FS with NOS as D/A filter.

Side note: to A/B test this can be challenging to get quick switching at the same volume level. In my test, I could switch with the remote of the Accu E-600 amplifier between analog input (ADI-2 Pro FS) and DAC-40 module. I have to admit, it was no blind test, but I could hear clearly, that the DAC-40 had less treble, comparable to the treble roll off in NOS mode.

And BTW, regarding KS Digital. I had two of their coaxial monitors to test many years ago, the KS C55. They delivered a lot of pressure/dynamics and had a very convincing sound stage. And that was with a UFX (older converter and no setting options for various D/A filters).
I think the ADI-2 DAC FS in combination with your KS monitors should deliver a very impressive sound image if these monitors are of a similar quality to the coaxial systems back then.

In this respect, you should perhaps safe money and efforts and simply stay with the current solution.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13

12 (edited by ramses 2024-08-17 11:27:15)

Re: How to connect my RME ADI-2 DAC FS digitally with studio monitors

Ah, thanks, didn't remember that there was a measuring in the specs.

Well, I wouldn’t phrase it that way ("HiFi" crap products) because I believe it misses the point. There are simply different listening habits and sound preferences. Many find the NOS sound more pleasant and are willing to accept the small drawback of a treble roll-off at single speed (which can be compensated with an EQ, as we know).

One shouldn’t be more papal than the Pope. On one hand, we accept shaping sound with EQs to normalize the sound of our headphones or to compensate for room acoustics. So I think NOS shouldn’t be considered as poor quality.
It’s simply a different representation of music, one that provides a more pleasant sound for some listeners and at higher sample rates it's even gone as it will be moved to the non audible frequencies.

So you could also think about upsampling to 96 kHz to avoid the audible treble roll off without having to EQ.

What do you think Muffin, does this also make sense to you?

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13

13 (edited by ramses 2024-08-17 12:00:43)

Re: How to connect my RME ADI-2 DAC FS digitally with studio monitors

From a studio perspective, you are right. Therefore, RME doesn't want to have a selectable D/A filter in UFX III and II even if the AKM converter allows for it. It would be bad, if a recording would be degraded by using the wrong D/A filter which does not provide linear frequency response also at single speed.

From a HiFi perspective, I am still of the opinion that this is more to shape the sound into a certain direction.
I think it wouldn't have been any rocket science for a company like Accuphase, to use other DAC chips or settings.
They even provided the measuring, which is very honest.

If you do not like it, well then this product is nothing for you, but to call it crap isn't justified as it doesn't sound bad.
It's more a nuance. Audible at single speed, but not dramatic.

BR Ramses - UFX III, 12Mic, XTC, ADI-2 Pro FS R BE, RayDAT, X10SRi-F, E5-1680v4, Win10Pro22H2, Cub13

Re: How to connect my RME ADI-2 DAC FS digitally with studio monitors

ramses wrote:

RME's reference converters are of a very high technical standard. If you have read the forum carefully in the last few weeks, you may have noticed that even Bob Katz is very satisfied with the quality of these devices.
https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.ph … 89#p218689

In the converter shootout, the somewhat older ADI-2 Pro FS with the older AKM converters performed very well compared to expensive converters such as HEDD and Lavry.
See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doHG32aXBDY

I think that it probably won't make much difference if you carry out the D/A conversion in the active monitors. There will be no night/day differences just because of the different converters.

I suspect that you will miss some quality of the RME converters in terms of the analog stage behind the DAC chip. Because here, the implementation in the RME converters is simply first class.
Or does your active monitor offer you 4 different reference levels and features such as Auto Ref Level, which allow you to automatically switch between Ref Levels? In the ADI-2 DAC/Pro this is to automatically get the best SNR and dynamics over a wide volume range. See my Excel here to show it to you more clearly, what the effect of this is.
https://www.tonstudio-forum.de/attachme … v002-xlsx/

To have the D/A conversion outside the active monitor can be an advantage, as then you are flexible in terms of D/A conversion. If you do this in the active monitor, then you are stuck forever with this one.
Furthermore, you will most likely have no possibility to change between D/A filter which can give you benefits regarding the location of percussive instruments in the stereo panorama (e.g., the slow filter, as KaiS already reported).

Only my opinion (and gut feeling to this topic). At least, my experience with the D/A conversion of the ADI-2 Pro FS [R BE] is very positive. For example, in A/B comparison to the Accuphase DAC-40 module (for the E-600 Class-A amplifier) it was a bit more transparent and had better resolution. The DAC-40 module sounded like an ADI-2 Pro FS with NOS as D/A filter.

Side note: to A/B test this can be challenging to get quick switching at the same volume level. In my test, I could switch with the remote of the Accu E-600 amplifier between analog input (ADI-2 Pro FS) and DAC-40 module. I have to admit, it was no blind test, but I could hear clearly, that the DAC-40 had less treble, comparable to the treble roll off in NOS mode.

And BTW, regarding KS Digital. I had two of their coaxial monitors to test many years ago, the KS C55. They delivered a lot of pressure/dynamics and had a very convincing sound stage. And that was with a UFX (older converter and no setting options for various D/A filters).
I think the ADI-2 DAC FS in combination with your KS monitors should deliver a very impressive sound image if these monitors are of a similar quality to the coaxial systems back then.

In this respect, you should perhaps safe money and efforts and simply stay with the current solution.

Thanks for this very elaborate response. I will probably refrain from trying to connect my DAC digitally with the A200, otherwise I can still send back my ADI-2 DAC FS to Thomann without losing money. So I could go for the ADI-2 Pro FS R Black Edition later, which has got an outbreak cable and should be able to connect to my A200. The pro edition has also got other benefits.

Re: How to connect my RME ADI-2 DAC FS digitally with studio monitors

kirmizz25 wrote:

...  I will probably refrain from trying to connect my DAC digitally with the A200, otherwise I can still send back my ADI-2 DAC FS to Thomann without losing money. So I could go for the ADI-2 Pro FS R Black Edition later, which has got an outbreak cable and should be able to connect to my A200. The pro edition has also got other benefits.

The ADI-2 Pro FS R Black Edition is much better than the combination ADI-2 DAC FS and Mutec MC-1.1+ AES Splitter-Converter. On top of that the ADI-2 Pro is only a little more expensive.

16 (edited by KaiS 2024-08-17 13:26:58)

Re: How to connect my RME ADI-2 DAC FS digitally with studio monitors

kirmizz25 wrote:

I will probably refrain from trying to connect my DAC digitally with the A200, …

You have to, as with ADI-2 DAC there’s no option to do so, it’s simply not made for this.

kirmizz25 wrote:

… I can still send back my ADI-2 DAC FS to Thomann without losing money. So I could go for the ADI-2 Pro FS R Black Edition later, which has got an outbreak cable and should be able to connect to my A200. The pro edition has also got other benefits.

Indeed, and even have a look at ADI-2/4 Pro SE if you are into Vinyl Disc and/or balanced headphones:

• The digital RIAA phono preamp gives me the best vinyl sound I’ve ever heard.

• The Pentaconn connector and improved routing simplifies balanced ‘phones connection, compared to ADI-2 Pro.


The sooner you have it, the earlier you can start to use it smile