I actually understand that, but the tests that ASR did are weighted incorrectly and skewed to his own bias with sample rates. There are other tests where the you can see incredibly bad phase shift (over 180 degrees) with both the ADI-2 and ADI-2 FS. Amir is far from perfect and his testing is far from definitive. I’d go as far as to say there are quite a few tests he’s done in the past that are flat out deceptive and wrong.
There are few topics around the subject and they have been settings related.
So by changing the 3 settings that are mentioned. Issues you mentioned are corrected to zero issues.
Those settings are by Default from factory. So out of the box, they probably are there. Unless different version have different default values.
Sorry for continue the wrong topic. 
Spend most of your money on good speakers IMO, powered speakers as from the sonic reference. Then you just need a AES/EBU signal like from a Streamer (network) device etc and all done.
No trouble of dacs and amps and that crap. lol 
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In response to M0N - Since you call me Pizza man, can I call you Flip Phone Man? 
I feel that’s only fair, right?
- My main goal with that post, was to show that we should demand more capability from our DAC’s for the prices we pay. Once you get up around a thousand dollars for something, then it better be worth that price.
Although I do not, nor have ever owned, a JDS Atom+, nor the Magni 3+, - I have owned several DAC’s over the years, so I can do a comparison. I compared the RME ADI-2 to the SMSL DO 200 MK II, and the Klipsch Heritage Headphone Amplifier. I was running those for their DAC functions only, and running their output into my Topping A90D for amplification, into several different headphones. (I used the Mod House Argon T60RP for most of the comparison testing).
I can personally say that I enjoy the RME ADI-2 the most out of the three. That is mainly due to the large amount of sound tweaking options I now have with the ADI-2. And honestly at bare output, it was quite difficult to tell the difference in the sound coming from the SMSL DO 200 MK II and the RME ADI-2 when comparing their unmodified DAC sound output. The Klipsch Heritage Headphone AMP did sound a bit warmer than the other two, but otherwise I couldn’t tell much of a difference.
(I should note that the SMSL DO 200 MK II died within a few hours after I started using it, and out of frustration I ordered the RME ADI-2 as a replacement. So I did not do a side-by-side test with those two, but I did side-by-side it with the Klipsch Heritage Headphone Amplifier - Again running them both through my Topping A90D).
- As I said in my previous post, what I really have enjoyed the most is the ability to cleanly manipulate the output from the DAC to adjust the sound for various headphones and speakers. I have been quite impressed at it’s ability to adjust sound frequency output very cleanly with no discernible loss in quality. (at least for what I could tell).
So what I said in my post was entirely true. For me, I feel like it has enabled me to hop off the never-ending hardware replacement wagon. Because with a bit of twiddling, I can adjust the frequencies until I get the type of sound output I like. And this is all without any loss in resolution or clarity. Which surprised me, because from most of my previous experiences, something is almost always lost when adjusting sound through an EQ.
- Perhaps because I run everything through the Topping A90D, that might have some influence on the results, perhaps not. But my main goal was to use the RME as a DAC, and so that’s what I tested it for.
Of course the RME ADI-2 has many other features, like options that allow for DSP room correction adjustments. But I have not used that myself, so I can’t speak to it. But the videos go over that, especially the second video I linked. And those are ‘professional’ audio gear reviewers, so perhaps they have experienced more gear to compare than most.
I also had a very difficult time finding any reviewers who did not like the RME ADI-2, so I picked one up to try for myself, and I am quite happy with it. I see no further need to move onward anymore, whereas before I felt like I was on an endless treadmill of hardware replacement, ever searching for the ‘perfect sound’ - which i suddenly realized was foolish, when I could just adjust the sound myself if I had the proper hardware to do it.
- Honestly speaking, I tend to agree with Zeos on this one when he says “Hash-tag, DAC’s don’t matter”. At least from what i’ve seen, that seems to be the case. Perhaps if I would have spent the thousand on a different unit to use as a dedicated DAC, I might feel differently. But I didn’t, so here I am.
As for something reading like an ad, that’s because I spend time on my posts. I tend to go over them several times, editing in proper punctuation, and adjusting the wording so it all fits. (Note the number of edits on that first post.) When I post things, I want to insure they will actually be worth reading. Otherwise, what’s the point of posting at all?
- As an aside from all that - I really don’t understand what people are talking about, when people say things like, 'it compares to a 200-300 dollar DAC", because I compared it to a 500 dollar SMSL DAC (the SMSL DO 200 Mk II, I mentioned earlier), and the older Klipsh Heritage Headphone Amp (older now, but still considered good quality), and honestly for straight DAC output, i don’t recall a difference. (Other than the Klipsch which as I mentioned earlier, sounded a bit warmer). What I really love it for are all the other features. Because like I mentioned earlier “Hash-tag DAC’s don’t Matter”.
Maybe things would be different if I had picked up something like a Chord DAC. But several reviewers have compared it to other DAC’s at the 1k price point (including the Chord), and they indicated it was just as good, or better considering all it’s other sound adjustment features. (which I find incredibly useful).
Making this post made me hungry… why did you have to mention pizza? 
Now I have to go get some today.
Sure, I just remember people more by pfp at times, can be easier
Yeah, totally agree
Then how does this fall into your demand above? You’re literally paying 2x more for something that apparently is barely better, how is that demanding more? IMO if you’re going to pay double the price, you should get more than a marginal improvement. It would be unreasonable to assume you’ll get double improvement with each double in cost, but you should, and already can, get quite a bit more at the price point of the rme that are a definitive step over things like the smsl or klipsch in sound at least. Could also comment on the topping, but can’t speak to the discrete a90, only tried the regular a90, and if I go off of that it just really isn’t worth it to spend more on a dac for an a90 when that’s going to become the bottleneck in any chain it’s in.
Which is cool and all, but is it really worth 2x the cost when you can do the same thing on a computer with free software and more flexibility? Sure you have to have a program running and it only works on a computer, but I’d say that limitation is not a big deal if you save 500 bucks by doing so for most
Generally with a quality eq depending on the level of equipment and more subtle tweaks you won’t get an immediate big drop, but also I’d argue that given the dacs mediocrity you just don’t hear the quality loss because the dac isn’t really good enough to showcase it
I think the reason you have a difficult time finding most who didn’t like it is because for a lot of people that seemingly have one, it’s their first “high end” dac and they have no real comparisons or reference points at the same price point. IMO same reason people laud things like the holo stuff when most people I see talk about it have never heard anything else at the range it’s in (although I’d still say that the holo stuff still has a lot more going for it sound quality wise vs the rme)
It’s great that you’ve found something you don’t feel the need to change and are happy with, that being said, seriously this thread wasn’t even asking about the specifics of a dac or anything of the sort, yet a post about the rme and all it’s features and how great it is appears which goes beyond the relevancy of the topic and more comes off as a push toward a specific product rather than a simple example
I just wonder though if you’re in that camp how spending a grand on one is justifiable, even for features alone that’s still a hard sell if imo you’re going to take the stance they’re not significant enough to care about.
Perhaps I’m an outlier in that I don’t really care too much about features or looks or the brand behind something and am most interested in getting what I feel I pay for in sound quality when I spend on audio equipment even if that means trying multiple things, putting in extra effort to get things to their best, and so on that typically would be too much hassle for some. I can see how the rme can be a one and done do it all box for people, but if we’re going to stick to the “demand more” mantra, I truly do think for 1k you better be getting what you pay for in sound and I truly don’t think it does that vs it’s peers
It’s not really the idea of a well formatted post being the problem, rather the frequency of similar posts in threads that go beyond the relevancy to the topic, the content which tend to read more as generic selling points than your own personal experience, along with linking multiple reviews to reinforce those generic points. All of that combined just lends it to looking more “shilly” than it would be otherwise even if that’s not what you intend. It just feels like pushing a brand or even the linked reviewers rather than why you yourself feel it’s a great and worthwhile purchase. At least that’s just how I see it, but obs could just be me
It’s because from my own experience those same dacs compare to those same 200 buck dacs in sound. I haven’t heard the do200 but have heard other similar smsl dacs (which all tend to be more similar than not assuming the ones that are around the similar price points), and have heard the klipsch as well, and really I think with those they end up being similar level to just the pure dac only no features units that lie around the 200 buck price point. With things like the smsl you pay extra for features like balanced, bluetooth, preamp, etc, and a bit better sound quality perhaps (but again haven’t directly heard the do200 so I can’t speak to it) for that rise in price and for some people that’s worthwhile, and with the klipsch it’s a combo aio unit which is what you pay for.
You could argue that the rme is the same idea of paying more for more features, but is built in eq when that’s something you can already implement for little effort in the form of running something on your pc/source really worth that price increase when the unit fundamentally doesn’t offer a notable sound quality jump over things that cost 2x to 4x less than it’s cost? You’re strictly paying for convenience, brand image, and fit and finish at that point. For some people that’s still worthwhile, but really for me it personally isn’t.
From my experience the 300-to around 700 range ends up being a no mans land or dac dead zone, in that going in that range typically gives you more features but marginally better sq, going above gives you a more noticable boost in sq. Not a rule or something just something I’ve noticed. The rme somehow falls into that dead zone while being in the range of things that offer an actual sq upgrade
I would highly disagree, for example while I’m not personally partial to chord dacs, I’d honestly say using the mojo as a dac will already put you at a higher level than anything the rme can do, and the new mojo 2 even has a built in eq apparently if you cared about that. But really I’d say most of the dacs I’ve tried at or below that level I’d favor over the rme.
For example, I’ll take the allo revolution dac with a nice psu, which while only one input and output, mediocre build, and no dsp, does actually offer a meaningful way to shift up the sound in the form of more varied filtering modes including a bypass which isn’t commonly offered on most sigma delta dacs, harmonics control for controlling 2nd and 3rd order harmonics, and some other things like sync vs async for usb and the sort allow you to subtly shift the sound around which isn’t commonly found at it’s 300 ish buck price point, along with being further upgradable though higher quality power supplies like their nirvana or shanti lps. And sound wise, from my tests sounded just as good if not better than the rme adi 2 in most aspects. Or another one being the jnog dac, again simplistic, but sound quality wise I’d put it at or above the rme in most aspects in sound. Schiit modius if you want more io, again something I’d put at a similar level as the rme. If you step up to the 1k price point, one great example I’d mention would be a soekris dac2541 which I feel is a plenty solid step up above the rme in most aspects in sound for basically the same price, for lower I’d also say the bifrost 2 which while not as technical as the soekris has other characteristics that it can pull ahead in but also still a noticeable step up above the adi 2 as well in sound (go for a gumby a2 to be on a similar technical level to the 2541). Or a holo cyan pcm, that’s another one that I think offers a solid step above the rme in sq and also has a built in headphone amp around a similar price. Another one would be the mytek liberty dac (at least the original one, haven’t heard the liberty II), and so on. Include the used market or older dacs and you can potentially get even better value out there as well
Basically, the thing lags behind the price class it’s in significantly in sound, and while most dacs don’t have it’s features, I have to question it’s value when dacs 3-4x less it’s cost can match or easily outperform it’s sound quality just for something with integrated eq and dsp and a mediocre headphone out
Of course all just my personal opinion, but imo, that’s more valuable to hear what people actually think about something they own or have tried rather than someone regurgitating hearsay or something I could find on a spec sheet.
Really while most of this is just complaining about the adi 2 now, I only mentioned you directly because of the frequency of your adi 2 posts in threads that didn’t really ask for them
I don’t really mind taking this thread further down the shitter than it already is given it wasn’t a great topic to begin with and devolved into something worse, and because of that thought might as well mention the frequent rme posts
Since it’s your profile picture
Hopefully it’s some good pizza
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Going to try for it! It’s Pizza time!
Thanks for your thoughts! One of the reasons I mentioned this particular DAC a few times, is due to my personal experiences with it. I do try to only talk about equipment I have personally experienced most of the time. So that may influence what I post about. And admittedly, my personal experience with dedicated DAC’s is somewhat limited.
I felt it applied to this thread mainly because I wanted to push the idea that DAC’s should do more. So I used this as a demonstration of what DAC’s could be used for. Since it’s the only DAC I have personally used that could actually do much more than just be a DAC, that became what I talked about for an example.
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I really enjoy having a self-contained unit that can do many things, without relying on any outside hardware or software to manage it. Although I do use this as a dedicated DAC - as I mentioned earlier, I run it through my Topping A90D. (and also to my vanatoo T1 encore speakers.)
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I wanted a DAC to manipulate sound, without having to pipe it through a computer. Of course I do not have unlimited funds, so I spent quite a bit of time going through reviewers thoughts on the various units, before settling on this one.
I also recently felt burned by SMSL. Spending 500 dollars on a DAC and then having it die within a few hours after it arrived, really bugged me. Then the company i bought it from, tried to get me to ship it back to the SMSL factory in China, at my own expense I might add. This did not feel like a good move, and soured me even more. But luckily I had bought it through amazon, so I was able to ship it back to amazon for free and get a refund.
So my requirements became, a good dac that would let me manipulate sound output without relying on a separate PC to do so, and preferably NOT made in China. Then I ran across the ADI-2 and after watching quite a few reviews, it seemed like a good choice.
- Was it the best choice?
But I do quite enjoy it for what it does in my setup.
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Makes sense, it’s just that in your initial posts about it, it’s hard to actually tell that’s the intent, the language you use and the more vague indirect statements and added information somewhat muddle what you say about it from your own experience, imo out of your first post, only one small section says that (basically about how you own one and it adjusts sound and doesn’t bother presentation, everything else just feels like nonpersonal selling points rather than your experiences with the unit), the rest of it feels like something that might be written to showcase a product rather than share experiences on it
That makes sense, however from the style it was written it imo devolves more into a sales pitch rather than an example, but again that’s likely just me. As a different example, imo the way you discuss the rme here comes off as a lot more going off your own experience whereas in this thread it feels a lot more like reading off a cutsheet or something. And the point you make about demanding more from dacs at higher price points just felt a bit ironic considering it was using an rme as an example which is why I think pokrog ended up talking about it
Yeah there’s not too many options, another one is a weiss dac501 which is a lot more expensive (although significantly better than the adi 2 or any other 1k ish dac from my experience), you could have gotten a minidsp if you didn’t care about dac quality and wanted more flexibility eq wise but lacks things like a preamp, or even something like a qudelix 5k although using a portable as a desktop unit can sometimes get irritating. Guess that monoprice monolith dac amp with dsp also exists, but you are correct in that the pure features there aren’t many in the range that offer that, then again it also comes at the cost of sq but that should be expected to some extent given the tradeoffs/concessions that typically need to be made around the 1k price point
That is pretty garbage, and that’s always a risk that is taken with chifi stuff (although I think most companies will make you pay shipping there if something fails from my experience regardless of warranty)
And what you got makes sense if that’s your goal, I just think if you’re going to take the stance of demanding more, it’s also important to acknowledge that demanding more in one aspect typically leads another to be neglected within a product, it’s all a game of tradeoffs and that’s important to convey imo
There really is no “best” anything, but there are options that well suit a setup and those goals around the setups and options that do and don’t make sense. If you enjoy it that’s great, it’s just that when you try and represent it like the above it comes off as more as a sales pitch rather than an example from your own experiences regardless of what you might have intended
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Hmm… I did try to Bold the line “as an example from my personal gear”… Maybe that will be clearer if I use a block quote and also bold it, and rephrase it a little. That might help. so people know it’s only an example ;D
Thanks for the suggestion of the weiss dac501. I will research that. Maybe for another purchase down the road. if i feel the need to replace the ADI-2 DAC.
Not to repeat myself, but I’m still not quite sure I understand. If “DACs don’t matter”, why not get like a $100 or $200 DAC and do the EQ in software? That seems like it’d save you a lot of money. Or are you plugging the DAC into something that can’t do EQ?
Funny how that happens, eh? 
Overall, I find the back-and-forth amusing. Just the title alone is a pretty strong statement, and one that I happen to disagree with. Not to say that the DAC isn’t important, it is very important. But not to the point where I am going to blow my budget on the DAC and then have to compromise everywhere else in the chain. We have now created a plethora of bottlenecks from which we may never recover.
As I have developed my audio knowledge base, such as it is, I have determined that for me, I think a more balanced approach is best, where expenditure is more evenly distributed among components within a reasonable margin. By using this strategy, I feel like I have created a system where no one component is vastly over or under performing within the environment as a whole. I could be completely wrong, but this is what seems to be working for me. As always, your mileage may vary.
Having said all that, if I ever had the opportunity to start over and build a system that was more high-end in nature, I would start with the DAC and would give it more attention than the other pieces in the system. And again, it would be within a reasonable margin. Just my thoughts on the matter, but I find it interesting to read the differing opinions.
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Would totally agree
Would also agree for sure
That really depends on how high lol. Being entirely honest, a lot of the sub 1k dacs are quite boring to me now having heard what’s above and how drastically things start come into play. I can totally understand someone testing a lot of the sub 1k dacs out there now and not really finding too much difference between them, because a lot of them are rehashes from the same thing, and even the ones that do stand out as notably different or better end up also not being super drastic either (still noticeable and worthwhile for sure, but nowhere near as drastic as changing a headphone or something).
Now keep scaling up, and things change more and more. I actually didn’t care too much about a really high quality dac in the headphone chains at first to be honest but always cared quite a bit when it came to speaker setups (weird how that happened lol) but once I started really perfecting my headphone chains and moving higher and higher, the dacs became more and more integral to the performance of the entire chain, to where swapping from one dac to another can genuinely feel like you’ve swapped the entire chain (only at the extremes, but even outside the extremes basically make or break for some depending on how much you care). It also amplifies the pickiness of everything in the sense that one dac might be fantastic in one chain but lackluster in another, so getting great synergy is also really important in actually getting what you pay for
It’s really counter intuitive, I’d prioritize the dac the least in most budget to midrange setups and only start putting mild emphasis when you get into the entry level to midrange higher end range, and then really focus on them a ton going higher. The differences and worthwhileness of dacs actually grows as you move up (to an extent) which is also interesting. But it is all about balance as I’ve said in my first post here, but what actually constitutes as a “balanced” chain also shifts as you change price and performance brackets
Now feels like after picking the transducers I want to live with, the dacs have become the centerpieces in my chain, but they never would have been that way if I hadn’t gone this high or experienced what those higher end dacs can do and instead just stuck with a lot of the sub 1k stuff. There’s really too many aspects to consider to make things easy lol, sure you can throw money at some high end dacs or whatever but that’s not going to assure you get good sound, requires careful planning, trial and error, and proper experience to get what you actually pay for there imo
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Basically that yes. I also run my PC through it. But I greatly appreciate the ability to adjust sound coming in from several different sources, without requiring the PC connection. Also, I really appreciate having front-mounted controls on the DAC that allow me to adjust everything the DAC can do just from the unit itself, again without being connected to a PC.
I did look up the Weiss 501, but it lacks the front panel controls I like. =/ ah well.
Regarding the ‘sounds bad’ thing… maybe I never ran into that because I don’t use the headphone output on the DAC itself. I run it through a separate amplifier entirely. Although, I can’t remember any complaints from the reviews i’ve seen for it. Maybe if I invited some friends over, then I could have them do some listening, ‘pepsi challenge’ style ;D
Thanks for this I needed a good laugh.
Sounds like someone got ridiculed out of ASR…
There are so many errors in this post that I am not wasting time on writing a proper correction as this has to be shit trolling. Maybe try not insulting people for no reason otherwise they will also start treating you with no respect… As follows:
Go do some reading to understand why ASR measures what it does and why your idea on time domain is amusing & how phase is already reported if you actually understood the measurements. 
Also make up your mind on whether measurements matter / one minute you wanna be a failed objectivist the next a non descriptive subjectivist… Rather than saying things are shit, there are better options or that something doesn’t work why not back it up with some evidence or atleast explanation.
So far you fucked up on understanding measurements, thinking balanced and unbalanced are the same, how EQ works, how DSP is implemented in a DAC, you compare a DAC with a combo without understanding that they are a different class of hardware fulfilling a different function, your idea on Audable Transparent is laughable and equally not relevant here, you don’t understand a studio function, voltage matching, build quality, failure rates in how hifi differs from pro audio, you even didn’t account for the RME 5 year warranty vs the Topping 1 year, how filters work and their importance for your beloved time domain since you quoted a DAC that only has one, the extra features available and why they are desirable for specific applications and perhaps most amusingly you quote incorrect measurements when trying to make a point - fucking laughable schoolboy shit
For anyone still reading I stand by my previous comments above as well as every online and print review (along with hundreds of pro audio and consumer testimonials) of this DAC/AMP combo and you will see the same from all crowds be the measurement, subjectivist or pro audio.
Pro Audio hardware meets HiFi in a unique form factor which fulfills specific functions.
Is it comparable in the market - No it is a unique proposition by combining DSP & indicators into the DAC/AMP which also accommodated IEMs.
Is it the best value DAC for pure measurements - no - Topping & SMSL rule there but with certain sacrifices - I have now had to return & replace 4 Topping products this last 12 months due to failure - but I still am a vocal Chifi supporter & purchaser for the boundaries they have pushed.
Is it TOTL measurement wise - no but it still has excellent DAC & Headphone AMP measurements despite being a few years older.
Is it subjectively well received - yes and it is a piece of equipment made for mastering and described and sold as such with award winning results.
Is it reliable - Go look at it’s track record, RME reputation for CS & extended warranty.
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LOL linear power supplies - in 2023 are you kidding me. Where do you live in a power plant…
Yes if you had read my posts you would have understood of course I have experience with the hardware. You would also know I am not championing it in any sense and qualified my comments with what it works for.
I’m just confused as you say your only concerned with SQ and yet name products that are completely different, have different applications and do not offer better measurements… For example both the Jnog & Mojo you just championed have been shown to have worse measurements (the JNOG some serious flaws) on all accounts and a far less extensive EQ on the Mojo & functionality than the RME.
As soon as you mentioned the Soekris & Bifrost - I had to stop reading as we value completely different things in audio so no point continuing - those are not something pro audio would touch with a barge pole and the objective evidence is out there for people to look up as they see fit. And before you ask yes I have heard a Soekris DAC before as well as the Bifrost and my feelings have not changed.
I mean that’s the sort of noise we could all do without…
Take your pick, there are plenty of nice smps if you want to go that route as well, an interesting one (semi) recently was the ferrum hypsos which is almost like a more consumer friendly mini lab psu (just as an example). There’s great smps and shit smps, great lps and shit lps, one isn’t better than the other, all depends on the specific psu you end up with
Really not what I got from it, closest thing I saw was that you know people who use it, doesn’t mean you have personal experience with it
Well of course, the jnog and mojo do genuinely sound better from my experience, but of course it’s just my experience, but I wasn’t making the claim that those dacs replace the use case of the rme, but rather that given the cost of the rme, I’d really expect a bit better from it dac wise aside from the features if something like those can match or outperform. There’s not really any other option at it’s price point for what the rme offers features wise, but I just have to wonder if that’s really worth the extra for most people who would be looking at one
Course not, this isn’t a pro audio forum, it’s a hifi forum, and considering that the rme in this case is being used for non pro audio, I think it’s still very fair to include them. People here aren’t using them for that use case. I wouldn’t touch a bifrost for anything pro, though the soekris would be plenty workable in my mind depending on filtering and source. Personally if I was buying a studio da around the 1-2k price point (used), my money would go toward crane song, forssell, burl, dangerous music, lavry, potentially lynx hilo tb if I needed the features, and so on (going higher I’d likely go toward high end lavry, weiss, bricasti, find a used pacific microsonics if I can or go berkeley, emm labs, etc), all of which I’ve used and enjoyed. Really most true mastering converters don’t have dsp built in because it’s unneeded and focus on purely sound quality over else (sometimes features more like io for wide compatibility or extra routing, but not as often dsp). If I didn’t want to spend that much, I’d just get a nice entry level interface from the likes of audient, motu, ua (if you wanted the features), etc and use that as the dac which admittedly will also be pretty close to the rme in sound for way less and serve a lot more purpose
The rme is passable because it’s a feature box that doesn’t sound terrible, but I’ve never seen one used in any actually serious high budget studio where there’s plenty of time and budget to help pick a high quality converter, it does the job, it has the features some might want, and it’s passable sound wise. But again, passable for 1k is a really unappealing value prop for me personally. It’s in a weird price point where it has to compensate with features as going up just a bit higher you get a fair fair fair bit better sq at the loss of some features that can be added back in software on a pc if you really need it, really not hard to add room correction/dsp/eq on a pc either standalone or in a daw if you’re going to go for the studio use argument (which is really what most pros will elect to do from sonarworks, dirac, waves, or so on if they actually need it, although really it’s only something they use if they need to rather than look forward to having to use)
This post is the only valuable one you’ve contributed to the thread as there’s some semblance of original thought here, little bit
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Wait, people dont like the DX3 Pro + anymore? I thought it was well recieved.
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When I listen to music I just turn on my DAP… 
Just like i wrote. The issues are there. Some have none but some have more than enough.
The first time would have broken the camels back for me. Time resolving the situation + the troubleshooting and possible even shipping money all in total.
So just by the stories people write (even if some have bit more ink) have decided Not to.
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TL,DR: This thread is now basically “Why you should not spend most of your money on a DAC unless you have multiple 1000$+ things in your signal chain”.
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Well I wish I could say the same about this being your one post that contains valuable information but you managed to do it again…
You think that the RME is not value (which once again I have agreed on multiple times) but then you name the Hilo Lynx as a step above - something which is over double the price (currently £3,555 on Thomann) with worse measurements and limited features… - great for it’s time and a workhorse of a unit but…
And if your focused on the ADC side maybe check out below where a direct comparison to the earlier RME (non FS version before the jitter fix) was conducted:
Maybe 5-8 years ago I saw these in studios but not for awhile. Noone claimed the RME is used in high end studios - in fact I actually stated that - perhaps if you read the posts before commenting you may gleam that valuable information you were looking for as you have in the main agreed with everything I have stated and then recommended software DSP/EQ and UA & Motu interfaces for value just as I did…
Most converters do not have DSP because (again as written previously) you separate things out in the studio and Io and routing are a bigger factor. Again - as was posted - studio converters are focused more on the ADC side than the DAC which I am sure you are aware of. Let’s not pretend studios use great DACs.
If your recommending switching power supplies for performance please do some reading on this topic…
Really no point continuing this as it’s getting embarrassing now