Packaging and equipment<\/h2>\n
Packaging without frills and gloss – everything corresponds to a professional orientation, in which boxes of stewed oak and an abundance of accessories are not welcome.<\/p>\n
In the\u00a0RME ADI-2 DAC FS<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0box\u00a0\u00a0, under a cardboard cover with printing, in addition to the DAC itself, you will find:<\/p>\n In\u00a0\u00a0RME Babyface PRO FS<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0\u00a0equipment more feature-rich:<\/p>\n And here\u00a0\u00a0it is worth going\u00a0through each item of the\u00a0\u00a0Babyface<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0separately.\u00a0The transport case is solid and will be able to protect not only from pressure, but, perhaps, from falling from a height of human growth.\u00a0But it has one drawback, which is at the same time a plus – these are latches that cannot be opened without tearing off the floor of your finger.\u00a0On the one hand, this gives additional points to the reliability piggy bank, but on the other hand, ergonomics could have been thought out better, since with frequent transportation, the latches will quickly lose their original appearance and, possibly, functional appearance.\u00a0You will be opening them exclusively with foreign objects, and this does not have a very good effect on plastic.\u00a0At the same time, few manufacturers provide their interfaces with such cases at all, so this is a minor minus.<\/p>\n The L-shaped cable also has two ends.\u00a0One of which is a minus of conditional proprietary, and the other is a fattening plus, since such a connection is much more convenient than a direct one and, which is important in a professional recording environment, the cable is recessed into the case, preventing it from accidentally jumping out or loosening the USB socket.<\/p>\n And, in my opinion, an extremely positive decision is the use of an adapter for MIDI.\u00a0This interface is gradually disappearing into history, more and more giving way to the usual USB, so the rejection of a rather large input, significantly increasing the body, but demanded by a fewer and fewer users, is an excellent solution.\u00a0At the same time, the manufacturer does not deprive you of the opportunity to connect your working tools as you like, which cannot but arouse sympathy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Before you plug the\u00a0\u00a0RME ADI-2 DAC FS<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0into a power outlet, you are already starting to have fun.\u00a0Naturally, only if you are an adherent of studio minimalism, because the device is not replete with details and visual chips.\u00a0The austere black box beckons with just a few elements: a small color display and an indicator light around the power button.\u00a0The indicator lights up in only two colors: red if the device is turned off, but connected to the mains and white if the DAC is working.\u00a0The main feature is the display, or rather what it shows.<\/p>\n The front panel contains, in addition to the screen and the power button, a volume control, pressed controls that serve as navigation in the device menu, and two headphone outputs, for which a special thank you.\u00a0Most manufacturers do not bother with such things, but\u00a0\u00a0RME\u00a0\u00a0knows that adapters spoil the sound and that low-impedance in-channels need to supply less current than\u00a0full-size\u00a0studio\u00a0headphones\u00a0that come with a 6.3 jack.\u00a0For some, this may seem like an insignificant trifle, but for me personally, as an owner of several pairs of monitors, this is a very important parameter.\u00a0Not all models of headphones are sensitive to connection via an adapter, but I think it is obvious to everyone that it is better to listen to music without it, albeit with very high quality.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The\u00a0\u00a0RME Babyface PRO FS\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0with ergonomics and design has about the same story – everything is assembled and fitted perfectly, the interface housing is machined from aluminum.\u00a0The volume control is smooth, there are two separate inputs for full-size and in-channel.\u00a0Two instrument inputs, two XLR mic inputs, monitor outputs, USB-B, MIDI, auxiliary power, Kensington lock and best of all, ADAT for upscaling recording channels.\u00a0All users’ wishes are taken into account, so you won’t want anything more.<\/p>\n The indication of the levels of the incoming and outgoing signals is made in the form of strips, divided into separate segments, which makes it extremely visual and aesthetic.\u00a0Also on the bottom of the case is a +19 and +4 dB switch, which adds a direct way to reduce the output level to avoid overdriving.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The ergonomics of the\u00a0\u00a0RME ADI-2 DAC FS are<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0not up to par, since all control is carried out through 2 knobs with the ability to press, but if you get used to it, it ceases to seem a problem as soon as you master the control and understand that your DAC is crammed with such features that you are talking about. and did not think, superficially evaluating the device.\u00a0Frequency control, equalization, balance, fine tuning for DSD files and the most chic – the legendary crossfeed.\u00a0I have long wanted to try this feature, and specifically from the very day I heard about the\u00a0SPL Phonitor<\/em>\u00a0headphone\u00a0\u00a0amplifiers,\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0from an equally legendary brand.\u00a0One of the main features of their devices is the ability to cross-feed the signal to the headphone channels, simulating listening to music from stationary acoustics.<\/p>\n The point of such tricks is to be able to listen to the recording as it would sound in listening conditions not in headphones, but from full-length acoustics, partially mixing signals from the left and right channels.\u00a0It would seem, why this might be needed, if the overwhelming majority of manufacturers focus on “physical channel separation”, releasing devices with balanced connections.\u00a0Who would think to go in the opposite direction and pollute the canals?<\/p>\n The fact is that when you listen to music from the speakers, the sound from the right channel does not go in isolation to the right ear, but partially also enters the left ear, and vice versa.\u00a0In the headphones, we hear only one channel, without the addition of another.\u00a0This is a very controversial, but interesting technology, revered by sound engineers as the most portable, albeit incomplete, option for mixing recordings.<\/p>\n And, as it turned out, for consumer use this function is not needed for nothing.\u00a0You will definitely hear the difference when switching between crossfeed and normal listening, but this is not a feature that enhances the sound, making it richer, livelier or, conversely, dry.\u00a0So, from the point of view of a simple user who does not work with sound, this is a useless thing, but from the point of view of a professional who knows where and how he will use it, it is quite a weighty reason to pay extra for its presence.\u00a0However, a similar function was implemented in the\u00a0Crosszone CZ-1\u00a0headphones\u00a0.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n But what distinguishes an expensive audio interface from a cheap one?\u00a0That’s right, the name of the manufacturer.\u00a0But in fact, no, an expensive manufacturer will put high-quality DACs, amplifiers, boards into its interface and back it all up with software, without which modern devices are not worth a damn.\u00a0In\u00a0\u00a0RME<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0has its own program\u00a0\u00a0TotalMix the FX<\/em>\u00a0, which runs on top of your DAW and manages the basic interface parameters, while being a driver that fully discloses all the features of\u00a0\u00a0RME Babyface the PRO FS<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0.<\/p>\n Both devices sound amazing, no exaggeration.\u00a0These are perhaps some of the most detailed and monitor-sounding DACs on the market, in their price segments.\u00a0The only difference is that the\u00a0\u00a0RME Babyface PRO FS<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0\u00a0is an audio interface for sound recording and playback, while the\u00a0\u00a0ADI-2 DAC FS is\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0intended solely for listening.<\/p>\n Babyface\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0, due to its versatility, is more suitable for work, but this does not mean that it cannot be used as an amazingly informative source.\u00a0I myself would prefer it, given that I sometimes dabble in sound recording and practically do not listen to music at home on full-size systems, preferring headphones.<\/p>\n But if you own something more serious than\u00a0mid-range\u00a0studio monitors\u00a0– your choice is the\u00a0\u00a0ADI-2 DAC FS.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>The older model has a much higher amplification path and copes much better with\u00a0Hi-Fi speaker systems\u00a0that require this amplification.\u00a0And in terms of ergonomics, the\u00a0\u00a0ADI-2 is\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0much more suitable for the role of the center of a stationary audio system, which is hinted at by the control panel that comes with the kit.\u00a0It produces a more detailed sound picture, despite the already extremely high information\u00a0\u00a0content of the Babyface<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0.<\/p>\n If you, like me, prefer listening with headphones,\u00a0\u00a0Babyface<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0\u00a0will be a more practical option due to its lower cost.\u00a0The headphone outputs produce a similar sound, so in this case the\u00a0\u00a0ADI-2 is<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0\u00a0no better than the initial model from\u00a0\u00a0RME<\/em>\u00a0.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n DACs are as versatile as possible and unleash the potential of everything you connect to them, acting as a reference sound source by which you can compare the quality of certain components of your audio system.\u00a0There were no problems with any of the headphones and the\u00a0\u00a0RME Babyface PRO FS\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0squeezed everything, both from the reinforcing in-\u00a0ducts<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0and\u00a0from the extremely demanding full-size\u00a0\u00a0Audeze<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0\u00a0Sennheiser<\/em>\u00a0.<\/p>\n Stunning detail and clarity of sound, no distortion and reliability – this is how\u00a0RME<\/em>\u00a0can be described\u00a0\u00a0,\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0without undue modesty.\u00a0Versatile devices with different directions, suitable both for the role of home sources and as solutions for working with sound.<\/p>\n You just have to listen to them, fall in love and decide how you will use them.\u00a0RME did the rest for you.<\/p>\n [ratemypost]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" RME is an abbreviation that evokes associations with reliability for everyone who is even slightly involved in working with sound.\u00a0The company has become famous for its\u00a0audio interfaces\u00a0, taking pride of place in the market as a brand that produces trouble-free equipment. I got their hands on their\u00a0DAC with the\u00a0ADI-2 DAC FS\u00a0amplifier\u00a0\u00a0, which made more than […] More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10404,"featured_media":135087,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[642],"tags":[778],"class_list":["post-135080","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-hi-fi","tag-reviews"],"acf":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135080","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10404"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=135080"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135080\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/135087"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=135080"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=135080"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=135080"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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Design and connectivity<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/obzor_rme_babyface_pro_fs_vs_rme_adi_2_dac_fs_sravnenie_dvuh_legend_5.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/obzor_rme_babyface_pro_fs_vs_rme_adi_2_dac_fs_sravnenie_dvuh_legend_2.jpg\")
<\/p>\nControl and software<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/obzor_rme_babyface_pro_fs_vs_rme_adi_2_dac_fs_sravnenie_dvuh_legend_7.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/obzor_rme_babyface_pro_fs_vs_rme_adi_2_dac_fs_sravnenie_dvuh_legend_3.jpg\")
<\/p>\nSound<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.stereoindex.com\/tech\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/obzor_rme_babyface_pro_fs_vs_rme_adi_2_dac_fs_sravnenie_dvuh_legend_9.jpg\")
<\/p>\nConclusion<\/h3>\n