Every piece of equipment in the chain adds coloration. To what extent is debatable.
Coloration can be more than fr, I would say an dac that lacks in recreating space for example is colored because it is spatially altering the sound, or a dac with a cleaner than life is something I would also call colored
There is something to be said for eliminating variables, sticking with a single source or amp and then comparing just headphones.
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Wire/Gain.
Hard to beat some of the AIO options available. Iād love to get a chance to hear a couple, like the Fidelice RNDAC, and the dCS BartĆ³k.
I was really impressed by the Chord Hugo TT2, but I think one of the above mentioned would be more pleasing for my tastes.
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This one is sexy.
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Thinking about selling my RME ADI2 DAC FS. Pm me for more info.
Was planning on buying the rme to use with beyer t1.2 was wondering if it had enough power to push the headphones. I was also thinking about the rupert neve amp. Would I notice a big difference (enough to justify $500) vs the standalone headphone amp it comes with.
Personally I would prefer the Neve here for a few reasons. I think the adi 2 DAC fs can push the t1.2s, but itās not the most pleasant sounding imo, they can get up there in harshness and also imo donāt really sound how they should, the neve powers them much better imo.
The Neve does well with the t1.2 as it really allows the t1.2 to shine detail wise while minimizing any harshness or fatigue, is pretty nice at adding body to the mid-range, and portraits space very well. Itās not the most impactful amp in the low end to power the t1.2 with, but imo it still does a pretty solid job
So the rme and the neve would bevs good match for the t1.2. Is there anything you can recomend with in the same price range that would do better.
Are you planning to take advantage of the adiās EQ and DSP? Also what type of sound are you going for
I like having the option in case I want to. I know with most dacs you dont get the luxury eqs and dsp. The sound Iām looking for is open, space, very detailed, solid vocals, decent bass.
While I personally prefer some different dacs in the price range from a pure sound quality perspective, I think if you like the idea of having what the rme has to offer, itās a good fit imo, seems up your alley sonically for the most part as well, with the neve + rme I think you will have a setup great for listening enjoyment and studio lol
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Iām open to other dacs. Any recommendations? Also thank you so much for helping me out. I really appreciate it.
I like the bifrost 2 with the neve, I think it really pairs well because it widens the Neve a bit, gives it more meaty impact, and imo makes it a bit more forgiving with poorly recorded music (smoother slightly warm). It still maintains the neutral tone of the Neve, just complements it well. Compared to the rme, I think the rme would be more neutral and forward sounding, but also imo doesnāt have as good of spatial recreation and timbre and impact as the bifrost 2.
Another thing I like with the Neve thatās a bit more is a bryston bda 2 (if you can find one used for a good price) for something neutral yet pretty enjoyable, itās pretty dynamic and punchy, detailed but not harsh or fatiguing, and also pretty spatially impressive. I think it goes for a similar signature as the rme but imo is more impressive technicality wise, and also a bit sweeter sounding
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Quick question regarding the ADI-2 FS.
Does the power buttonās red light turn off after a couple seconds or is it constantly on?
You mean the standby light? Yes itās always on. At least it is on my ver 1 unit
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I turned mine off out of curiosity, going on 2 minutes and it continues to be steady red. My assumption is that it does NOT turn off. Iām pretty sure every time i power up it is red and on (I just never paid it any attention beforeā¦)
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I see, thanks, that might be a bit annoying at night since I plan to use it in the same room I sleep.
I guess I could keep it on and use the auto-off feature, although I donāt like the idea of it constantly being powered onā¦
Itās not very bright or anything. I had it in my bedroom for a while and it didnāt bother me.
Iāll see if I can get some electrical tape or something to cover it up if it bothers me at night, thanks!