Agree with @jeenam thats it’s an honest DAC. It is accurate but with no glare or harshness whatsoever. Can listen to the RME for hours with no fatigue whatsoever. Now if ones system is thin or bright to begin with then yeah it might just pass the cr@p right on through, but on my system it’s smooth even on the most unforgiving filter which is what I use.
Just changed the power cord on my transport from a Nordost Vishnu, which is a very good cable, to a WyWires Silver Juice II Digital and the change was easily noticeable to a wider stage and dare I say smoother or the noise floor dropped a smidge. With my ModWright preamp and Pass amp this DAC is very musical, fast, exceptional bottom end and extracts more out of recordings than any digital front end I’ve heard. I run mine with everything off and the volume fixed and it’s smooth. If one did find it a little too clean there’s a ton of ways to go into the menu and blend away but I’ve not found the desire to mess with it as I find it great running it straight out.
Would love to compare this DAC to a +$4K machine as I suspect much of that cost is going into the big machined box. RME claims no need to try a linear power supply but I’m tempted to try a Sbooster or Pardo PS to hear if this thing can get any better. I run it off my PS Audio P5 so not sure It would make a difference, so if anyone has changed out the PS I’d appreciate their thoughts.
Just changed the power cord on my transport from a Nordost Vishnu, which is a very good cable, to a WyWires Silver Juice II Digital and the change was easily noticeable to a wider stage and dare I say smoother or the noise floor dropped a smidge. With my ModWright preamp and Pass amp this DAC is very musical, fast, exceptional bottom end and extracts more out of recordings than any digital front end I’ve heard. I run mine with everything off and the volume fixed and it’s smooth. If one did find it a little too clean there’s a ton of ways to go into the menu and blend away but I’ve not found the desire to mess with it as I find it great running it straight out.
Would love to compare this DAC to a +$4K machine as I suspect much of that cost is going into the big machined box. RME claims no need to try a linear power supply but I’m tempted to try a Sbooster or Pardo PS to hear if this thing can get any better. I run it off my PS Audio P5 so not sure It would make a difference, so if anyone has changed out the PS I’d appreciate their thoughts.