RME ADI-2 direct to amp

Be sure to post your results. The unit has a 65 page manual but once you understand the menu hierarchy and what the knobs and buttons do its super easy. Even though its tweaked for home use , it is by all rights a piece of studio gear and its layout speaks of that. Go to RMEs website and you can download software that allows you to perform a bit check test and record whats present at its inputs... remarkable little box for sure

Enjoy

Mofojo,

I finally got around to running my RME ADI 2fs direct to my Pass X250 and I’m stunned how great it sounds. Currently I’m going from my Bluesound Vault 2 playing off the hard drive so not streaming. I’m using a custom power cord I built for the Vault with Nordost Silver Shadow SPDIF, then off the RME Nordost with a Frey 2 balanced to the Pass with Wywires Platinum HC power cord. All source components going through a PS Audio P5. Amp feed through a Nordost QBase II with QV2 and QK1 also with Wywires Platinum HC PC. Dedicated AC lines. Only mentioning equipment and cables as although not out of this world products I think it’s more than able to pull out what the RME is capable of.

I’ll spend a lot more time going direct next with streaming with Qobuz and then spin some CD’s and report back. First impressions is it sounds really good and just from memory recordings I know very well are sounding very close ModWright LS 36.5 which I think says a lot. Lastly having no issues whatsoever with with the volume whatsoever and at low volumes it still sounds great which my ModWright does as well. So far I’m impressed!

Forgot to mention I am using a Teddy Pardo linear power supply that is being feed with WyWires Silver Juice II Digital Series power cord on the RME.

Probably should had done a better job proofing of spelling and etc on previous post... oh well.
Spent a few hours tonight listening to an assortment of music from stuff I listen to often and a lot of music I have not visited in years. Really impressed how the RME sounds going direct, bypassing a separate preamp. For those that own this DAC and like me until tonight have not tried it direct you might be in for a surprise. No doubt it’s going to be system dependent including cables and if you’re using the stock SPS and PC. Just realized the IC I’m running direct to my amp cost more than the RME so that’s probably helping as well.

I’ll throw my preamp back in the mix in the next day or two and report back.

Really impressed how the RME sounds going direct, bypassing a separate preamp.

Yes 9 times out of 10 going direct is a clear winner, with better transparency/detail/pin point imagining, tighter deeper bass and better dynamics.
But "if" your system has problems somewhere with harshness/hardness, then sometimes it "can" be accentuated by going direct, then the right preamp colouration may put a bandaid fix on these and colour/soften them so they’re not so obvious.

Cheers George

Sounds promising. Will arrive Thursday so I can start playing around with it. New speakers arrive Saturday so I will get a couple days to play around on current ones. Old Snell Type E iii while very musical IMO aren't real resolution monsters so I'm curious to see if I can hear a definite difference from the Bluesound DAC. Real steal on the used market btw.