ADI2 DAC FS Ultra-Fidelity 2 Channel DA Converter and Headphone Amplifier

I bought this DAC for my home office desktop audiophile system for my PC and Mac.Here is the configuration:1)Digital Streamer: WiiM Streamer (connected to DAC using optical audio cable).2)Computer: PC and Mac (connected to DAC using USB audio (midi) cable).3)DAC: RME ADI2DACFS (Connected to amplifier using RCA cable)4)Amplifier: Audiolab 6000a (connected to speakers using banana speaker cables).5)Speakers: KEF LS50 metaFirst, the negative which everyone should be aware, this DAC comes with ESS 9028Q2M (NOT AKM 4493) because the AKM factory caught fire two years ago and the AKM 4493 is not available. This fact is not reflected in Amazon, but there is a youtube channel (produced by RME) that explains why a DAC chip change had to be made and how ESS 9028Q2M is "as good" as AKM4493. I don't completely buy it because industry insiders know each DAC chipsets have their own distinctive sound. Plus, ESS9029Q2M is actually a lower end of ESS mobile DAC chip whereas AKM 4493 is little higher end. The fact that RME had originally chosen AKM 4493 (which is little more expensive than ESS 9028Q2M) says a lot.Having said all this, this DAC is fantastic. It has low distortion, very meaty sound, high detailed resolution, and customization galore. I am convinced this DAC could be the best audio equipment you could buy for under $1500 which would make a HUGE difference to your audio system.Previously, I had Cambridge Audio DACMAGIC 200M DAC, which I was satisfied with until I had noticed a significant distortion at higher volume and sampling rates. I was OK with it, but I wanted something that would allow me to listen without the slight ringing in my ear.I decided to take the plunge and buy this DAC which had cost 2.5X more than my DacMagic 200M.I was delighted when I heard the RME DAC for the first time. This RME DAC is a superior to DacMagic 200M in every way. The sound is more detailed, it is fuller (with more meat on it), it has a wider sound stage, and best of all, the distortion is MUCH lower. The RME DAC is also far more customizable.I did play around with different bit\sampling rate to get the best sound quality/distortion possible. RME provides a nice driver for both PC and MAC which I recommend every one to use. The driver allows me to set both the bit rate (16 or 24) and sampling rate (it can go very high). After trying various settings, I have found the sound quality to distortion ratio is, for me, best at 24bit\48hz sampling rate. I also set the RME DAC to use the "NOS" filter which seems to work the best for me.As many others had mentioned, this DAC is highly customizable and understanding all the setting does take some practice and time.Finally, if you have an older but quality audio system, and you would like to upgrade your digital music, then I HIGHLY recommend this DAC and plug it in, via USB, from a high quality music lossless Music source. It will breathe new life into your older audio system.Pros:1)This DAC can unsuck your audio system if you listen to digital music.2)Best under $1500 investment you can make for your audio system.3)Sound is detailed, meaty, wide, and high. The sound has that "wow" factor.4)You can customize the DAC filters, EQ, headphones, etc. This DAC can work with any musical tastes and preferences.5)Both headphone amps are of very high quality with high degree of customization.Cons:1)The DAC chipset is ESS 9028Q2M (not AKM 4493).2)The customization is nice but also entails high degree of complexity. If you are not into configuring machines, then perhaps a simpler DAC would be better.3)Headphone, although very good, is not quite as fantastic as the DAC.

Nice little DAC. It's fairly solidly built but not quite heavy enough. For a piece of equipment this expensive, I don't appreciate it when the whole left side gets pushed backward by the amount of force it takes to activate the power button with a finger. It's the same idea as laptops - it shouldn't take enough force to lift up the whole computer when you're opening the screen, but I digress...Sound quality is excellent and even better it has a "loudness" function similar to what you used to see in the 70s and 80s on hi-fi receivers. RME says this function is intended for low volume listening, but It really makes listening to older or less dynamic recordings more fun at any volume. There are also adjustments for Bass and Treble which can be activated alone or in combination with Loudness. Lots of room to really enhance the sound to your preference. I haven't seen another DAC with these features.The RME is feature-rich and comes with a manual the size of a paperback book (although there are numerous pages devoted to other languages). It took me several hours to get through it all and I still don't think I understand all of the different things you can do with it. Professional grade equipment, IMO.The headphone amplifier is also *very good* and has been reviewed favorably at audiosciencereview . com for its sheer power compared to other headphone amps, some costing much more than this - plus you're getting the best DAC ASIC on the market, so win-win. I have also tried the In Ear Monitor (IEM) jack with a pair of relatively cheap IEMs I got on Amazon and it's great, but the cord isn't very long so I'd have to sit down on the floor in front of the unit if I wanted to use them more often. If you're buying some IEMs for use with this product, I recommend looking into some type of extension cord unless you'll be keeping the RME on a desktop.The remote is very functional and a step up over the previous model (RME didn't re-name the ADI-2 DAC FS when they quietly upgraded the DAC ASIC from the AKM 4490 to the 4493 mid-production in 2019 or 2020) which had a remote with fewer buttons and functions.When I purchased this in June of 2020 the price was $1149. I really don't see why the price would go up by over $130 in a year's time even with the pandemic and possible higher shipping costs and/or worker shortages. If anything the price should be coming down as other companies release competitive products and other DAC ASIC manufacturers (SABRE for example) continue to tweak and develop higher end chips of their own (and in fact AKM now touts the 4499 as their flagship DAC, so RME should consider upgrading if they're going to charge this much). Other than the new price, my only minor complaint is the lack of MQA support, but as an engineer I am still skeptical of that "technology" insofar as being useful for anything other than protecting copyrights on certain artists/recordings/studios. The fact of the matter is that MQA *is* a lossy codec, and I've owned other DACs with the capability including very expensive ones and not noticed any real difference through higher end headphones (AKG K-712), IEMs or high resolution loudspeakers like the JBL synthesis series.All in all, if you've got $1300 to spend on a DAC, you could do a lot worse than this, but others are catching up. Again, the build quality (made in Germany) is excellent. The display can be switched between a "graphics equalizer", plain volume and several other useful screens full of data. The user interface can be intimidating at first, but once I set it, I basically forget it and only play with the volume, loudness and bass/treble when listening to music. Rated 9/10 for build, functionality and sound quality; 5/10 for the increasing price without any added features.REVISION: I see that the price has fallen back to its original ~$1000 range. For this price, you can't go wrong. Don't pay attention to anyone saying that the only people who like this DAC are stepping up from less expensive models. That's hogwash. I 'downgraded' to this DAC from a top of the line ESS and a PS Audio reference DAC and this is a far better value with better sound. Also ignore reviews that try to pin the popularity of this DAC on one subjective audiophile reviewer like Darko. The ADI-2 v.2 has been tested rigorously at audiosciencereview . com and it is objectively better than NUMEROUS more expensive DACs with lower distortion and a very powerful headphone amp capable of driving difficult, low impedance phones.