DAC Comparison: Chord Qutest vs RME ADI-2 DAC FS
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- Опубликовано: 24 июл 2020
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Adding my experience to the mix in case it helps someone else make a decision. I just finished putting the Chord Qutest up against the RME ADI-2 FS with ESS chip. (Note: there was a DAC chip change from AKM to ESS a while back due to supply issues / fire at AKM manufacturing facility) My usage is solely in a two channel system consisting of Focal Chora 826 speakers, a pair of SVS SB-2000 Pro subwoofers, Focals are powered by a Lexicon RV-6 receiver. Source is a Raspberry Pi with Allo Digione transport, connected to DAC via BNC or coaxial digital cable and running Roon software.
I started by comparing the Qutest to the built-in DAC in my Lexicon receiver (Cirrus CS42528). I ran the Qutest into a separate input on my receiver so I could quickly switch back and forth from the listening position. With the Qutest set to the default filter (Incisive Neutral) the first thing I noticed was a smoother presentation of the upper mids. Example would be listening to Adele's "Hello". When she starts to push, her voice can take on a kind of reedy sound that came across as being a little harsh with the built-in DAC but was much smoother and realistic with the Qutest. The highs of the Qutest were simply amazing. Best way I think I can explain this is that they sounded more detailed but lush. Not harsh in any way but silky smooth without being attenuated.
Overall soundstage width sounded like it was about 4-6 feet wider on each side with the Qutest. Center image seemed just a little less prominent but there was a depth to it that seemed like it better separated the center vocals from the other instruments in the background. Almost like you could hear around and behind the center image.
After watching this video, and quite a few others that rated the RME DAC up there with the Qutest, I decided to order an RME to put up against the Qutest. I split the digital signal from my transport into each DAC and then ran both analog outs to my receiver using identical interconnects (Audioquest Golden Gate). It didn't take me more than about five minutes to realize that the RME wasn't going to cut it. The upper-mids and highs seemed to sound almost grainy. The center image sounded like it had less depth and the overall soundstage sounded equally wide but seemed to have a reduced height. Overall, it just sounded like a more 2D presentation with a little grain on the top end. I tried the various filters and equalization but couldn't get the RME to sound as good as the Qutest with any combination of settings.
I think having the built-in headphone amp would make this a great candidate for my work / gaming / music creation desk with Yamaha HS8 monitors but I'm not at a point where I'd spend $1300 on a DAC for my desk. I did not try the headphone amplifier so I cannot comment on that part of the unit.
I know this isn't too important but I do want to say that I'm not a big fan of the aesthetics of the Chord. Sure, it's a solid block of aluminum but it really doesn't give me feeling that I got my money's worth... until I listen to it. I realize that's not a big deal, but it does leave me a little disappointed because I think it just looks like a $300 black box. If it's going to sit on a shelf in a hi-fi rig, at least the front of it could be dressed up a little bit. Move the Chord badge to the front panel instead of the top? The RME looked and felt like it was worth a little more than the Chord but at the end of the day, it's the sound that matters so the Chord is staying in my main rig.
Thanks so much for sharing your detailed experiences on these two. It's very helpful for others!
I think the Qutest looks amazing and completely worth the price.
The window that allows you to see inside with the lights is super special.
I kind of like that too, but I understand some people not liking the design
I think the window is cool and that it looks nice when viewed from above, but when you look at the front of it, it’s just a black box with two illuminated spherical buttons and the filter/input labels. I have it on a shelf in my rack so you can’t really see the top of it. I’ve been thinking of making a little stand for it similar to the one Chord sells, but angling the unit a little so you can see more of the top. I know it’s nit picky, maybe it’s just me…
I can relate to that. I miss seeing the window too when it's out of sight 🙂
Your channel is dangerous, man - I’ve been catching up on old videos ... now my head is spinning. In the market for some kit. And you make it all look so good!
Haha. Sorry about that - it's not all rosy, but most gear around is pretty good now.
I've recently created a recommended gear playlist that might help you find the products I think are better than average at what they do.
Very well explained man. Now I'll also watch your ADI-2 review.
Thanks, TechReflex!
Very good comparison! Your detailed elaboration on the sound stage differences are very handy. I find it frustrating when some reviewers don't elaborate on what they say, leaving the listener guessing at what they truly meant.
Hi Kacper, glad it was helpful! 🙂
I second this, excellent overall!
Thank you for such an excellent review. The best so far comparing both DACs.
A very interesting nice review but this one is better testing more equipment setups:
ruclips.net/video/0_G7ENaPg3o/видео.html
Love the video comparison. Thank you 🙏🏼
My pleasure. Glad you liked it 🙂
Awesome review, thanks!
Excellent review, thank you for the effort! I had a Chord Mojo and like the sounds quality, so planned to upgrade to Chord Qutest. However, after reading/watching reviews of Denafrips DACs, I am now a little bit hesitate on which way to go. Do you have any experience of listening to R2R DACs, especially Denafrips Pontus or Aries?
Hi Peter, I'm actually in the process of trying to get a Denafrips DAC for review. The only other R2R experience I have is the Schiit Gungnir Multibit which is a brilliant DAC, but not as good as the Qutest on raw sound quality (better on features though because it has RCA and XLR outs)
Passion for Sound , look forward to your evaluation of Denafrips now
Thankyou for the comparison. In terms of pure DAC comparisons have you heard/lived with a schiit bifrost 2 or any of the Giesler DACs and could make any basic comparisons to the Chord? Thankyou
Hi Paul, I haven't tried the Bifrost 2, but would expect that it isn't quite as good as the Gungnir MB which I owned prior to the Qutest. I provide a brief comparison of the Gumby and the Qutest in my review of the Qutest: ruclips.net/video/VVYk-dqHpQk/видео.html
I'm yet to try a Giesler DAC, but hope to in the future
Echo comments - excellent review. Professional and cogent.
Horses for courses. I intend to get the ADI because I need the range of functions. It was good to find out that the ADI came reasonably close to the Chord. If I come into some money, the Qutest will get hooked into my HDV 820 😂
Thanks Tim. Yes, it's nice that both products exist for the purposes they fulfil. Good luck coming into that money! 😉
Really good job. I actually compared the RME ADI-2 with the Hugo 2 (which I understand uses the same DAC as the Qutest) and I see the difference exactly as you described it. Very well done, you've helped me out a lot with this. You are now forgiven for the mistake of recommending the Ares II. :) Really, really happy with your super-professional reviews, keep it up!
Thanks Rhino. Most products have a purpose so I try to find a clear use case and discuss the product through that lens when possible (i.e. Ares II for soundstage lovers with brighter setups)
Thanks for sharing your experiences with the RME and Hugo 2! It's always helpful to hear when others are perceiving the same as me so I know I'm still on track 🙂
Appreciate your very detailed and informative review. I have Hugo 2 which I understand is similar in sound to Qutest. Resting easy after your conclusion!
Hi Graham. Glad it was helpful and yes, rest easy, you have one of the (if not THE) best DAC in the price range!
Super detailed and helpful review...thank you!
My pleasure. Glad it was helpful!
What headphone amp do you suggest I pair the chord qutest to? I like the sound signature that you described of the Qutest. I wanna kind of have an endgame pairing for the purpose of listening to music with headphones. Currently I am using a pair of Audeze LCD-2 Classic.
The Burson Soloist 3X is brilliant. That would be my choice. I'm also reviewing the Auris Euterpe shortly which is wonderful if you're looking for a tube amp.
Excellent comparison. Thank you.
Thank you. You're welcome!
I am watching this review a 2nd time. What an excellent review. I just compared a mytek brooklyn plus mqa vs a Chord hugo tt in my system. Each time the dac connects directly to my active speakers. Your adi descriptors in this video befits the mytek. And your qutest descriptors in this video befits the TT - they are all Chord products anyway. The mytek sounds like a pro dac, and is not as refined. The adi may be the same.
Thanks Isaac. What I'm finding is that most chip-based DACs have that sound and so far the only explanation i can find is that Chord have got the right approach to correctly reconstructing the sound. If we think about it, a DAC should accurately reconstruct the sound that was happening in the studio/venue at the time of the recording. Which of the DACs you just tried sounded the most like the real thing (and not a recording)?
I say that because to me the idea of "pro" DACs is a bit of a misnomer if they don't correctly reconstruct the signal to it's sound as it left the instruments/vocalists. By the way, I'm not knocking your use of the term "pro DAC" so much as making a comment about the industry perceptions of those types of DACs.
No offence taken at all. When I was listening to the mytek I really liked it. It sounds so analog - the background is dark, the instrument timbre is so accurate, transients are fast, music is dynamic. It is as if I am listening to a record. But the TT is different. I hear so much more and in a nice way. The subtleties. The atmosphere. The mytek sounds like a really good recording. The TT sounds like you are there. It reminds me then of what you said about Rob Watts’ intent to bring us not to the studio, but to the recording venue. I thought it is a stretch when I hear you say it, more referring to Rob’s goal. But then I experienced it. I have owned the TT for more than 3 years. And slowly I begin to realize I should keep it 😄. I appreciate it more by the day. And I also like that it is battery powered - no expensive lps needed. I can also hear the differences between 9038 and AK chips. They have some sound characteristics. I am open to them - but they are not at Chord’s level - for now.
Thank you for the comparison.
When I was deciding between both, I went for the RME. Use it as DAC with my THX AAA 789.
with some headphones I prefer my ifi xDSD as DAC feeding the THX, for a better synergy.
What you told us about staging- I‘d second it.
Hi Martin, you're welcome! I get what you mean about the different synergies with certain products. Glad to know I'm not the only one hearing things the way I describe!
Martin Leschinski I reviewed both and thought the RME is a Qutest killer and own the Qutest. It just beats it for similar quality sonics, in a different way, but with more features and lower price. It really is a no brainer. Preference and better are separate questions and this is definetely a question of preference but similar performance.
Thank you for the insightful and informative comparison! I own both DACs -- the Chord's in the living room driving Focal 3-way active spkrs through a Hegel pre-amp, and the RME's in the office/studio driving ATC monitors and Sennheiser HD660S or HiFiMan Sundara cans or Westone IEMs.
After quite a while with both, I'd amplify your comments concerns the Qutest's lack of a UI (I have it on a shelf, so I need to pick it up to see the sample rate) and lack of balanced outputs; single-ended [RCA-terminated] cables are very effective antennae in any system that mixes analog low-level audio with video, internet and other signals. I rarely use the RME's fancy features, but on some recordings, a bit of EQ or cross-feed makes all the difference, and the low-noise IEM output is an asset.
Your sound-related comments are also spot-on; the difference between "chip" DACs (generally sigma-delta) like the newer RME's ESS Sabre DAC versus a long reconstruction filter with high-order overlap like the Chord's will never be subtle over suitable (hi-quality) down-stream components. (I've read too many reviews where they use $100 headphones to listen to $2000 DACs.) It's in the transients and the timing for sure.
Other comments: (1) always upgrade the power supply you use with the Qutest to a linear one; (2) make a pair of RCA-to-XLR cables (with floating ground) and run your Quest using the optical input and an ungrounded power supply; and (3) upgrade your headphone cables (most all mid-range cans come with crappy cables).
Again, thanks for your contribution to the community, mate!
Thanks for sharing your experiences with both DACs! It's very helpful and always nice to get some confirmation as a reviewer too. 🙂🙂
Keep it up, you're getting the attention you deserve.
Thank you!
And so continues the centuries long battle between English refinement and German efficiency 😂
Cheers for the interesting comparison, Lachlan!
Also, that was some slick B-roll towards the start of the video. Very Joshua Valour-esque 😉
Haha. Nice one! Glad you enjoyed it
I love your reviews and you describe what I want to hear in terms of the type of sound one would get. I chose my supra usb cable watching a comparison you uploaded and you were right. That of course makes me sad because I was about to pull the trigger on that RME. I currently own a Burson dac and I want to upgrade so I can play DSD files and maybe refine my sound a little. would you say that the RME would be better than the Burson in the holographic presentation arena? I asked that because the Burson creates space around each speaker and I like that, it also sounds very analog, detailed but not harsh, realistic.
Thanks!
Hi vago, the RME may or may not be a good upgrade - it's hard to say without hearing what you're coming from. If you enjoy the Burson though, watch out for my upcoming Burson Composer review as it might be the perfect fit for you. I'm editing it now for release in about 3-4 reviews from now.
@@PassionforSound ok gday
What an outstanding DAC review. I was really impressed by your ability to anticipate the questions of a perspective buyer. I immediately subscribed to you channel and look forward to viewing more of your videos.
Thanks so much, Chris! I'm glad it was helpful and hope you enjoy the future content I have planned
Excellent channel, keep it up, you’ll be big
Thanks Keith!
Solid review. Haven't heard the RME, but you describe the exact qualities I like about the Qutest. So much (inner) detail but somehow airy, natural, and non-fatiguing with it. Especially in the top end where all other DACs I've heard apart from some NOS ones have that etched glare you mention. Even the smallest amount of it matters now and sounds wrong in comparison. Again though haven't heard the RME so it could be closer than I'd imagine.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Rob. It's always nice as a reviewer to get some confirmation that I'm not the only one hearing it that way 🙂
@@PassionforSound Right-on. Seems sibilance, digital glare and listening fatigue is just somehow accepted. There should be zero as the recording does not sound like that. After many years of digital audio maybe it is close to being GONE.
In some devices, it definitely is, but we still need to choose carefully, I think.
Once again, you've made another extremely useful, and extremely grounded review. We're all familiar with (and probably guilty of, on occasion) hyperbolic audio commentary, so thank you so much!
Thanks Jeff! Glad you found it helpful
Thank you for this excellent review, sir. I am an ADI-2 owner, but you got me interested in seeing what I'm missing out with the Qutest. I'm going to see if I can pick up a nice second hand unit somewhere. All the best from Rotterdam!
I hope you enjoy what you hear, Bas! Thanks for watching and commenting! 🙂🙂
@@PassionforSound Well who would have thought? The day after my comment I had the chance to pick up a perfect second hand unit, with a matching SBooster power supply! Which I did, and I must say I’m *very* impressed with the sound this little DAC produces. It really is like you said in your video: the RME has you sitting on the edge of your seat, listening for all the little details the DAC produces, whereas the Chord has you sitting back and relaxing in the music. With the RME I found myself listening to my stereo, with the Chord I’m listening to the music again! What a giant step forward. Thanks again!
That's such great news! So glad you're enjoying it!
Have the RME behind some mono block tube amps. Don't think the Chord would beat it as the RME can be tailored with its EQ to sound like the Chord and better. For my 2 channel system with floor standing McIntosh speakers, it's a noticeable improvement also powering the RME by battery. As in a major impact to the quality in every aspect. RME also put out some firmware upgrades (as you probably know.) But RME is a Chord killer. YMMV.
ruclips.net/video/0_G7ENaPg3o/видео.html
Tyvm, Great vid as always. Do you think it would be possible to run the Chorde Qutest w/ RCA to XLR Balanced? I want to run a XLR switch box to switch between amps and one of my amps is across the room.
There are switch boxes that take an RCA in and put out XLR so yes, that should be very doable. I use a Nobsound switch that does this so check on Amazon (links in description) and you should be all set.
Excellent channel and review. I'm curious if if you had the chance to listen to the Musical Fidelity MX-DAC. It seems to be similar to the Qutest in terms of features
Hi Mariusz, I haven't tried the MX as yet - sorry!
Great review! I currently own a RME ADI-2, and looking for some dac smoother and more natural as an upgrade or complementary, do you feel the difference between Qutest and ADI-2 is significant enough for me to buy it and keep both? If not, which should I try? Im thinking Ares II or Pontus II from Denafrips as well
Hi Alex, I personally love the Qutest, but it's not as huge a departure as something like the Ares II which I found too smooth. I'm yet to try the Pontus, but that or the Qutest are probably both worth trying if you can.
@@PassionforSound Thank you for replying, Ordered a Qutest on the way now
Great news! Enjoy!
I hope someone will review the newer RME add 2/4. It's supposed to be a big upgrade. You do a great job of explaining the details. I hope you can review one soon.
I wasn't aware of the new one - thanks for letting me know! I'll see what I can arrange.
How would the RME stack up with a Topping A90 amp? would it be more optimal sound-wise to pair it with a Topping A90, or just sell the A90 and use the ADI-2 as an all-in-one solution? I was thinking of running the A90 + the ADI-2 fully balanced, including headphones via 4 pin xlr input on A90.
Thanks in advance! Love the channel, some of the best HIFI gear content out there.
Thanks Luis! The A90 will be noticeably better than the ADI-2 amp based on my experience. I haven't compared them directly, but the ADI-2 was roughly on par with the THX 789 and the A90 is clearly better than the 789 so I think we can extrapolate that to the ADI-2 as well. The ability to run fully balanced with the A90 may also bring some improvements depending on your exact setup.
Glad you're enjoying the channel!
@@PassionforSound Ended up buying the ADI-2 at a nice price and did a comparison between the A90 and the ADI-2, kept going back and forth and the A90 was indeed noticeably better. A bit hard to explain, but the A90 sounded more open and drums/beats just had more power/emphasis to them. Thanks again!
Glad you're enjoying the improvement!
Just a great review. Two key things for me. I'd luv to see an RME -ADI-2 upgrade, with the ak4499 chip. Believing in the ability of that chip. And would like to see a Hugo 2 TT and namely the Dave reviewed, they rarely are. But both these devices you reviewed are absolutely nice. I'd personally like RME, being too have Balanced to another amplifier, and that I luv the combinations of iem's and headphones, both. But I'd take both, to be honest 😁 Good review! Truly 👍🏼
Thanks Joshua. Stay tuned... I'll be answering at least one of your wishes :)
@@PassionforSound oh yeah!? That is great to hear 🥳 😁
What a great patient review. I’ve been a fan of RME FS after hearing it in a store in neck to neck comparisons with Gungnir etc. At the moment I’m running a Schitt Modius between my Mac mini and active Dynaudio Xeo 20 speakers. (I know Xeo 20 has internal DSP etc so this is two rounds of conversions but for some reason there’s a better sound when running via the Modius.) So question - will upgrading to Bifrost or even Qutest upgrade the sound quality?
That's a very interesting question. I'd say it's very difficult to predict because it will depend on the synergy between the DSP and the DAC itself. Sorry I can't be more helpful!
great video. I heard the RME can´t play native DSD only via PCM? Another good DAC can´t play MQA but DSD damn I don´t know which one to buy
I believe you need to use the ASIO driver in windows to get native DSD so it is technically possible it seems. Hopefully that helps with your decision...
Great videos! I was getting ready to buy a Burson Conductor 3XP, but everyone keeps talking about the RME ADI-2 DAC FS. How would you compare them? I'm looking for a warmer sound with Focal Clear Professionals. I'm currently using an Eddie Current Black Widow which has a "tubey" sound that I love, but it's quite clunky for a desktop setup so I'm looking for something with better physical design.
Hi Ted, I'm yet to hear the Conductor, but unless you need the EQ, crossfeed and other similar features of the ADI-2, I reckon I'd go with the Conductor. The ADI-2 isn't at all warm and will be quite edgy with the Clears.
@@PassionforSound Thanks! Would you consider going balanced worth the extra money even if you don’t intend to go balanced with your headphones any sooner than a year or so?
I'm yet to find a headphone that actually sounds better balanced because I don't think the headphones care (so to speak). Unless you need greater power, a well designed single ended output can sound just as good as a well designed balanced output. In other words, don't feel the need to go balanced for the sake of it.
I watched because I might be in the market for one of these, so thanks for your interesting review, which seemed quite balanced. What was the music played around 6 minutes please? It sounded good even on my crappy PC speakers.
Hi Howard, glad it was helpful. Music credits are always in the description, but here's the info for this one. 🙂
Hiatus by King Sis - You can get it here: www.epidemicsound.com/referral/ofkioc/
@@PassionforSound Thank you for your response, I didn't see the credit but I have done now. I'll look out for future reviews.
No sweat, Howard 🙂
Nice review, was it all headphone listening though? Do you think using speakers would reveal the subtleties between them? I fancy a Qutest but don’t know if it’s worth it as I never really hear much difference on DACs in my lounge/speaker based setup. Got a Schiit Modius DAC now and sounds great, can a Qutest really move the game on I wonder?!!
Hi Richard, I'm 100% headphone based so I can't really say for sure. I do know from my "past life" speaker experience that there are more factors involved with speakers such as the room, speaker placement, etc. and these could all be limiting factors in the potential of your system.
There's no doubt the Qutest would be a great addition to any system (speakers or headphones) so it really depends on whether your system is being held back by something else
Passion for Sound ah ok, I’m only using headphones for on the go use. Yeah the room colours the sound so much it could be that the differences in DACs are essentially masked down to subtleties. And if it’s only subtle between 2 DACs anyway let’s say, that might be why people often claim no differences! I don’t have a ton of experience, but so far I can hear differences but it’s subtle only. Cheers
@@Mingchops definitely as you climb the DAC ranks the differences get more and more subtle like textural cues, spatial cues, etc. Happy listening!
@@Mingchops When you're just listening, those different DACs will handle certain transients differently at times, and all those slight changes over a longer stretch of time play differently with your brain. The more natural something sounds, the easier it will be to listen to. But if a DAC has tiny bits of extra emphasis at different places, your brain needs to work harder to compensate for those frequent inconsistencies. But once you sit down to A/B some DACs full focus, you're losing your overview on the bigger picture, and you're pretty much searching for Waldo who pops up in different places, disappears shortly after he appears, sometimes stays away for a long time, or secretly hiding within the large crowd. It takes a lot of time and experience to get to know your music well enough to know by heart when Waldo pops up and where you need to look.
I have an RME ADI-2 PRO FS which is my only DAC and I also transcribe my vast LP collection with it. It was good out of the box, but adding a iFi iGalvanic3.0 to isolate it from the computer, made a huge improvement in the soundstage size. Then I got a motorcycle battery and completely got the ADI-2 off the grid. The results were amazing - best $100 spent. My AC power is balanced through an isolation transformer, still inter-component ground loops are insidious in their degradation of details.
That's really interesting to hear the impact of power quality on the Pro FS. Thanks for sharing, Richard
Also in process of vinyl to DSD with the RME. I did notice a little bit of noise from the USB when using the computer, but not that much. I run it through some tube preamp though, and sound is super liquid, no edginess.
That would be an interesting project!
I'll happily keep my RME ADI-2 DAC FS then. It's amazing.
Yep, great piece of kit
@@PassionforSound Yes, because it's way more than a simple DAC. Almost perfect quality and features, at a fair price. Love it to death.
@@jpallatin What functionality you're using beyond DAC?
@@henson2k In addition to a preamp/headphones amp, one could use the remote to adjust bass/treble/loudness...not that I use it but you could also save your EQ to different profiles
Have you done a Qutest vs Bifrost comparison? Interested in these two. Have you also ever heard the original 2qute compared to the qutest?
Hi Snook, I haven't yet compared the Qutest and Bifrost, but would love to. I've never heard the 2qute
I'm a bit confused on the RME's outputs. Can I use my HD800s with a balanced xlr connection rather than the front 1/4 headphone jack? Thanks.
No, you shouldn't run headphones off DAC outputs unless the product is specifically designed to deliver enough current. DACs are designed to output moderate voltage with very low current and the amp then essentially provides the current to drive the headphones. Connecting direct to the DAC will likely sound bad and could damage your gear.
@@PassionforSound Thanks so much!
Perfect comparison. For people looking for a not so crazy high price for dac but also not the chi-fi like D90 this is a perfect comparison. RME is a bit more tinkering but what a classy device. Chord is a nice beast too at that small size but a bit decor unfriendly :)
Glad you liked the comparison, MS!
Chi-fi? What does that mean? Topping D90Se is a better dac than ADI-2, though. Even my old D70s is better than ADI-2 in resolution, soundstage and dynamics. I think ADI-2 is overrated, and RME has gotten away with overpricing it for years now thanks to Audio Science Review and other places that flat out worship it.
I do agree that the ADI-2 isn't the be-all and end-all. At the price there are multiple preferable options IMO, but the ADI-2 feature set is pretty unique so that does create a point of difference and some value
Informed and a very well presented review. You would have to be one of the best hifi reviewers on RUclips!
Wow. Thanks cwill!
Hello I just became a sub. I know this is not Q&A but if you read this maybe you can take an educated guess. I have an Arcam irDac with an original wall wart. Would you assume an external liner power supply would make a reasonable improvement or will it be throwing money away vs buying a Chord Qutest with its standard power supply? Thank you for sharing you audio knowledge with us all, stay well.
Hi Cruzing, I have no experience with the irDAC so I can't comment - sorry. What I can say is that the Qutest comfortably beats anything else I've heard in the nearby price range so far (and that's quite a lot of DACs). The only DAC that's come close and may be equal to the Qutest is the Schiit Bifrost 2, but I don't have the Qutest here for comparison because I had to sell it to fund other purchases for review.
Passion for Sound thank you for taking the time to relay I really appreciate it sir, stay well.
You're welcome. You too! 🙂
Hi I am going to buy an Adi 2, besides all the features do you think will be an upgrade in terms of sound quality compared to mi Cambridge Dac Magic Plus?, I Have paradigm Studio 60 v.5, Marantz preamp, an Also a head amp Woo Wa7 Audio Fireflies
I would expect that to be an upgrade, but I haven't tried the two side-by-side so I can't say for certain.
Is the RME superior to the E30 if by DAC performance alone? I noticed they use the same chip. Looking forward to your response and keep up the great work.
Hi mykeldg, I thought I responded to this, but the post must have failed - sorry! The RME is clearly superior to the E30 as it's much closer to something like the Qutest whereas the E30 doesn't play in that ballpark. That said, I'm working on a video involving the D50S (and relevant to the E30) right now that will be quite illuminating I think... stay tuned!
the dac chip by itself doesnt mean very much. its the electronics around the chip that makes a bigger difference imo
I definitely agree. Each brand of chips have their own filtering processes which bring a certain character to the sound, but it's 1-2% only of the final sound of a DAC
I'm using Hifiman Ananda. I got the RME since I get a very good headphone amp. I'm addicted to the 'Loud'ness mode. The Ananda's bass response became just tooo goood with Loud turned-on. whomever I demoed this combo had a wide grin on their face...
Glad you've found such an enjoyable setup. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for such a detailed review. I am a fan!
Couple of questions:
1) The RME ADI-2 DAC has another version ADI-2 FS. How does that compare?
2) You mentioned the treble being edgier on the ADI-2. Can that be addressed by controls?
Much appreciate it.
Hi Oddi, glad you liked it! Technically, this is the FS version. I believe the non FS is the older model and no longer available. I can't speak to the differences - sorry!
As for the edgy treble, it's about the reconstruction of the signal, not the frequency response so you can't remove I'm in afraid. It's very minor though and shouldn't put you off buying the ADI-2. I only mention it as a differentiator from the Qutest.
I'll discuss the edgy treble phenomenon a bit more in my upcoming review of the Hugo M-Scaler (when I review it with the TT2). I've briefly discussed it in the Qutest + M-Scaler video, but it probably deserves a bit more discussion.
@@PassionforSound If the non FS is older model, the question becomes irrelevant. Thanks for answering.
You're welcome 🙂
Hello, I have a Topping E30 and L30 stack and I was thinking to upgrading to RME ADI-2 DAC FS to pair with my HD800s. Would that upgrade be worth the money for the SQ gains? I have no opportunity to testing RME ADI-2 DAC FS in my country. And TBH with all this measurements "META" in audio community, you making a video comparing a budget stack with good measurements and high end stack with about the same measurements and explaining their differences would be a great video for audio beginners like me that read the forums where people only talk about measurements and not how things actually sound. Thanks!
Hi Dmytro, that's a good idea for a review! I'll see what I can arrange. In the meantime, the ADI-2 will be an improvement over the E30/L30. The DAC stage in particular is a lot more advanced and you have a lot more control over the sound. The amp stage may not be a huge improvement over the L30, but it definitely won't be worse.
@@PassionforSound Thanks for the reply, what If I would Keep L30 and get a chord Qutest for dac? I found a place where I can get it for under 1000 euros. And maybe later I would get a better amp.
That would be my choice. L30 is good enough to serve you well with the Qutest until you can upgrade further
Its funny that you used TVs as a example and I agree with your point which is probably why I always preferred the natural picture of a Sony over a Panasonic or Samsung. Although I never heard the ADI the one thing that always strikes me when hearing any of the Chords is how incredibly natural and analog they sound and with 10,000 records and considering how dedicated I am to analog I generally find the sound of the Chords pretty amazing.and I love the fact that it is made in England and not China.
Hi Scott, I couldn't agree more! My reference for good sound is always the experience of sitting in an intimate venue listening to live music and so far the Chord products come closest to that mark for me.
@@PassionforSound I as well love and use the live small venue clubs as my reference. I was lucky enough to be at CES back in 1982 when Sony debuted the first cd player and it was so God awful that its amazing to me that they have been able to get digital audio to sound as good today as they have. The one area that always was a real let down was in the area of depth but boy the Chords really seem to let you forget you are listening to digital, Rob Watts is a truly gifted designer. Thanks for your great review as always.
Hi Passion for sound, I bought RME Adi-2, boxed and sold it after a while as disliked its soundstage flatness (playing from floorstandings spkrs) and the excessive edgy highs. Furthermore it has a lot of functions that Ill never use. Im using a Xantech MY 2010 (a 170€ DAC with Dolby surround processor 2-in-1) that offers a very good soundstasge deepness and holography. Is Chord the same in that aspect? Which btw Mojo 1/2, Hugo 1/2 does offer a deeper and more holographyc soundstage? Some say that the 2nd versions are less analogue than the 1st one. On 2nd hand does worth Hugo1 for 700€ against Mojo1 for 300€?
Hi Alberto, I don't know the Xantech to compare to Chord, but the reason I particularly like the Chord gear is for its soundstage depth. As for v1 vs V2 of the Mojo or Hugo, I'd choose the V2 in both cases as there are significant sonic and function improvements in both. The Mojo 2 isn't as warm sounding as the v1, but you can easily use the EQ to bring that back
@@PassionforSound Thank you, 2nd hand do you suggest me: Mojo vs Hugo both V1?
The Hugo is better than Mojo so I'd just get that
How would you compare the RME ADI 2 DAC to the Topping DX7 or the SMSL M500 MK3 as a dac?
That's a tough one because I've never had them side-by-side to compare - sorry!
Hi what would be good to pair with the campfire Polaris v2 in a desktop set up. I was looking at the dragonfly cobolt Or apogee groove but is there anything else to consider? These rme and qutest are out of my range at the moment
Hi Tony, the Cobalt would be a great choice. I've also got the Tempotec Sonata HD Pro here at the moment. It's not as good as the Cobalt, but it's quite a bit cheaper. Review coming in a few weeks...
Other than that you'd be stepping up to something like a Chord Mojo or an iFi iDSD but they're both quite a bit bigger.
To throw one more option out there, the Schiit Modi and Magni 3+ could be good too.
Passion for Sound thanks for the reply :) is the chord mojo much better than the cobolt? size is not a huge factor as it’s only for desktop use. Schitt modi and magni 3 looks good also
@@tonycruciani2550 I'd say that the Mojo is a noticeable upgrade from the Cobalt, but not a huge upgrade if that makes sense. The Modi/Magni stack will probably give you more of an improvement I expect, but I haven't directly compared.
Thanks sorry just one more question. If I wanted to go the more expensive option and get the ADI-2 DAC FS which may be better as it has the ability to connect my studio speakers to it via xlr. Would it be worth it as I can see it’s more of a all in one which I would never have to upgrade. Dose it perform well with iems also though? Thanks for all your help btw appreciate it :)
Hi Tony, the ADI-2 is hugely better than those other options and it has the dedicated IEM output with lower power which will be perfect for your earphones. The ADI-2 could be the last DAC you ever need 🙂
Great review
Glad you liked it!
I have two things to ask, for the sound comparison did you increase the dBu output on the ADI? Second, I am assuming you never tinkered with the EQ? Many reviewers mentioned it hurts the soundstage and I was curious to know if there was truth to that, as it would deem a primary function useless.
Hi John, I adjusted the dBu to match volumes where necessary. I didn't feel like this impacted the SQ at all.
I did play briefly with the EQ from an interface perspective, but didn't consider the overall SQ with it active. Reduction in soundstage could be a result of DSP being applied to the signal, but it could also be a result of the tonal balance being changed. Different frequencies provide different spatial information to our brains so how someone sets the EQ can have a huge impact.
@@PassionforSound after doing room correction and adjusting it with the eq, I actually found that the sound stage and openess got better after the eq, so it's possible to improve the rme in every way
That's great news! Glad you got it sounding how you like
Just the comparison I was looking for. One of the negs I have on the qutest is the lack of XLR, which I currently use as a 2nd output to use for active speakers. Hearing you describe the presentation, I think I'll take the qutest either way and figure something out for the outputs.
Glad I could help. I agree that it's limiting in a use case like yours. There are adapters on the market to take XLR to RCA, but it needs to be a transformer, not just a dumb adapter that grounds the negative. Search for Neutrik XLR to RCA transformer to see an example.
@@PassionforSound ah no worries my speakers take SE as well. Thank you for the extended reply. On a DAC note, I've been comparing the teac udh01 (burrbrown) to the questyle cma400i (akm4490) that I've both owned for a while. I can also see the akm4490 reigns in dynamic swing and adds satisfying top-end sparkle compared to the udh01 burrbrowns. While the questyle akm4490 sounds cleaner it's much less bassy and dynamically swinging (negative feedback?), and the burrbrown has a slight nasty edge in the treble of very busy sections like certain choirs. I still ended up using the teac more because the sound was more lively and natural. I tested both this week with a ifi ican SE amp. I think I really prefer a dynamic presentation to anything, so the qutest.
I think if you enjoy the dynamics, but don't like the edge of the burrbrown, you'll really like the Qutest! That's interesting what you've heard while comparing the two. I've never been a huge fan of BB DACs myself and generally find I like the ESS gear the most of all the chips (depending on implementation of course)
Hi Passion for sound, you describing Qutest more envolving and circular in its soundstage, with a more vibrant-room filling bass, against a more horizontal - wider but less depth soundstage on RME Adi-2. Those consideration are made by HP audition? Should differs playing by SPKRs?
Does RMA offer some filters/options to let the sound as smooth and enveloping as the Qutest?
There is a chance that some things will be different from speakers, but most of what I've said holds true regardless. There's also no way to get the RME to sound as good as the Qutest because the issue is in the timing of the transients in the music and there are no adjustments from that - it's about the way each DAC processes the signal
@@PassionforSound Is the difference in sounstage you mentioned, really noticeable?
Whatever is the DAC in subject, is possibke to go out to 2 amps at the same time? I.e. connecting the DAC to a secondary 10W allinone for evening easy listenings, and to primar amp for primar auditions?
I definitely think the soundstage difference is noticeable and you can always use an RCA splitter to take the signal to two amps
@@PassionforSound I avoid splitters as signal looses passing through a switched off amp. On forums a guy said ADI-2 outputs both anal at same time. I got 2 questions:
- When it's USB-cabled on Win7 PC, still Mobo or PCI-e audio card active, letting its mic to keep working?
- Does ADI-2 offer a sound compresson / Vol normalizer?
I've never noticed significant signal degradation from splitters (but I use solid splitters, not cables so that might help with quality).
The ADI-2 does output via both at the same time so that might keep things simpler.
Your mic is controlled separately in Windows so it will keep working regardless of the DAC.
As for sound compression, I'm not sure that it has such a function, but I don't know 100%
May I ask, They don’t discount with price list? Normally retailer will discount alot %
Hi Tuan, sorry, but I don't understand the question. Can you explain a bit more?
How would you compare the audio on the RME to the Burson Audio Composer 3XP?
I personally prefer the Composer because I feel like it's use of the Burson discrete op-amps produces a more natural and smoother overall presentation. I recently had the ADI-2 on loan again and REALLY wanted to prefer it, but no matter the settings I used, the edginess of the delivery made it hard to relax into the music and gave no alternative benefit that the Composer lacked. The Composer matched it for detail retrieval, soundstage, etc. so the ADI-2 is only of benefit if you need the built-in headphone amp (which is quite good, but not amazing) or if you need the in-depth EQ, crossfeed, etc. of the ADI-2 and that's very hard to find in any other product
@@PassionforSound Thank you for your detailed response. The RME features are compelling but ultimately, the audio quality is my priority. I already have the Burson Swing with both Classic and Vivid options depending on mood and I am quite impressed with it's performance. Burson asures me the Composer is an upgrade in many ways.
I haven't heard the Swing, but I don't doubt that the Composer will be better.
Apart that the tonality of the REM internal amp is more inline with a 789 although I understand a little more musical, how would this stack up against the bifrost 2 and Jot2?
The Bifrost 2 / Jot 2 combo would be way better. Both the DAC stage and the amp are superior to the ADI-2 IMO if you don't need the EQ, crossfeed, etc.
@@PassionforSound thanks, xfeed and eq I can control from elsewhere in the chain, maybe a mojo 2 for now, so in that case I will stick to my original plan
Hmm mojo 2 isn’t going to work is it 😁 in that config as dig in only and analogue out only, Ron here I come I guess
Did you need an analog input too?
@@PassionforSound thinking
On the ADI some feeling that the bass is truncated may be due to the DC Protection being set to "filter" instead of on or off. This filters the very low frequencies.
Thanks BB. I don't know what settings I was using for the review. I do know that the Chord DACs' approach to transients also help the brain to perceive bass depth better so it could be a bit of both.
Loved the music in the background. What is the name of the song?
I'll check and let you know...
The track was called Hiatus by King Sis
would be curious to see how the ESS revision is compared to the original chip.
Yes, that would be interesting
Does anyone know if the RME ADI2 and the ADI Pro use the same DACs?
I believe they use the same chip, but the Pro version is also an ADC for recording
How does the Chord Qutest compares to the Geshelli Enog2 Pro ?
Hi Nick, I haven't tried the Enog2. I might reach out to Geshelli and see what we can arrange though...
@@PassionforSound thanks
I'm sound quality all the way kinda guy but I want EQ and and true balanced out. what are my options?
Hi FV, what's your source? Just USB or also CD/SACD/DVD and similar? I.e. can you introduce EQ elsewhere in the chain?
If not, the ADI-2 is still fantastic and insanely powerful in terms of features. I'm not sure of another DAC that offers what you're looking for.
@@PassionforSound thank you for the excellent comparison and thanks for the reply. I'm using USB only for the moment but looking for a decent CD transport in near future. In terms of feature set, I don't think I've seen anything coming close to ADI-2 but after hearing your description of the sound coming out of Qutest, I'm leaning toward that for future purchase. I thought not having balanced output at that price point is hubris on Chord's part but you really convinced me that maybe Qutest's SE really is just as good or better even than the other DACs of the similar price range.
Check out my upcoming interview series with Jason Stoddard from Schiit. I asked him specifically about balanced vs SE and he confirmed that both have their pros and cons so it's more about the implementation than one approach being inherently better.
In terms of DACs, if you don't go for the ADI-2, the best sounding options I've heard are the Qutest (obviously) and I think the Bifrost 2 might be pretty special. It only just arrived, but I'm very impressed after initial listening.
Hi and thank you for making such a good comparison video. I need to replace my integrated DAC Peachtree as it is dying so I am considering getting a DAC/pre amp with headphone option, then a power amp (Kinki EX M7?) as it it safer if something breaks and potentially provides better sound. I was leaning towards the RME but have just realised that the Hugo 2 is selling for a similar price here in Japan. Do you think a Hugo 2 would work successfully in a home setup enabling me to get the Qutest benefits plus pre amp/headphone versatility? I am pretty sure the sound will be more natural and live which is what I like. I would be interested to hear your thoughts.
I'm glad I found help!
The Hugo 2 would be a wonderful choice. It performs just as well as the Qutest, but gives you pre-amp control and a fantastic headphone amp when you need it. Definitely a better option than the RME.
@@PassionforSound Lachlan, thank you for replying to a video you made sometime ago! Yes, I think I will do this then although my Peachtree now is officially dead so I will have to change my main amp first.
I am looking at the Kinki EX M1 integrated or M7 power amps which have damping factors of 2000 which is good for quiet listening during the day while both my wife and I work from home. Could there be a better amplifier to go well with the Chord? I have Martin Logan Motion 40 speakers now although I might finish my upgrade cycle by changing to some Focals but not this year on my pocket money!
Anyway, thank you again and I hope your channel continues to grow as you obviously put effort into your reviews, the production but also in terms of chatting with people in the discussion.
Always happy to help. 🙂
As for amps, I'm not as deep into speaker gear as I am into everything else so I'm not able to make recommendations there - sorry!
Actually, mostly based on your reviews, I decided to go for the Burson 3GT for these reasons: I don’t use balanced so a simpler architecture is better, has a fan for sweaty Japan, got an awesome ex demo deal for the unit at half price with warranty direct from Burson, headphone amp looks ideal, better unit for home stereo in terms of looks and practicality. Now I have to decide whether to go with the Kinki or Burson amps. Decision will probably be made based on whether Burson runs a promotion or not! Thanks once again.
Glad I could help. You'll love the 3GT!
I really liked your video and production and know how much hard work is involved. did rme loan you this dac? I compared both and was confused with your SQ comparison. I compared both in my review and I found more soundstage space with the Qutest but the RME is more mid centric. What one trades the other makes up. I tried with atc SCM40A’s. This is a preference issue and the way to look at it, isn’t what you prefer as to what is best, but what others might think. The question to ask when doing a review is would more people prefer one over the other or be indifferent to either, and the answer is definetely the latter. These are so close to make it not possible to answer in my view. The decision is on the fact you might as well have all the other features for less money.
Hi 13th Note, thanks for your comment, but I disagree. I started out in this hobby as an enthusiast just like everyone else and I always preferred reviews that told me what someone liked and why. Over time as I got to know the reviewer (like Tyll for example), I soon learned to hear what he was describing in a product and also I learned how my preferences were similar and different to his. My point being that this hobby needs all different sorts of reviews to suit all different people.
I feel like I'd be doing a disservice to say that someone wouldn't notice a significant difference because I did. If I hear it, others will too. Perhaps it's because I'm 100% headphone based whereas you're using speakers. The effects of distance and room acoustics might be playing a part in how we both hear these products.
Passion for Sound I agree that’s important and I’m on that theme too (like jeremy clarkson lol) and your opinion counts and nobody can deride it - but it’s also important in my mind to point out that as reviewers we often describe small differences to preference. Aside from stating your strong preference (the first limb of a review), what I think reviewers have to ask too, is does another product trade in other areas that others might prefer (second limb). I like products and rate products I don’t prefer eg chord Hugo tt2 preferred over ps audio directstream. I always think if it’s very nuanced then it’s preference but if it’s more fundamental - better bass, detail, mid range etc then you can call it out. I got a sense you were calling out finer details so it wasn’t *better*. My attitude is if you think better, and others will too, you say so, if not say that too, take out preference. I didn’t get an impression you’d considered that. What you hear and prefer are separate issues to what you recommend. I agree with you on headphones, I suspect I might prefer the chord with same. I did with a HIFiMan Jade 2 headphone set up in fact. I hope I’m not being too critical as this was a good review, just drawing some of the finer points and vagueries of HiFi reviews. Best wishes and all credit.
Passion for Sound ps I just thought the rme was a different sound to the chord but in a HiFi set up was as accomplished with more features for a better price. That made it a better product.
I agree, 13th. Not sure if you watched my entire video, but my conclusion was that I would recommend the Qutest on pure sound quality because I believe it has a slight edge there (we may disagree - this is a subjective hobby). However, I definitely would recommend the ADI-2 to anyone looking for something with powerful features, flexibility, and the onboard HP & IEM amp.
Did watch it all they way through.. Passion for Sound try it with HiFi too and you might have a different view. Chords are always expensive for what they are, and whilst I love the chord sound and the Qutest, the ethos of the brands are different. Audiophile HiFi comes out more expensive because it’s about getting highest price and using luxury materials we might not want if Sq is first aim - the rme is as well built, but pro Audio is a bigger market so they can sell gear cheaper. It’s like the Intel nuc versus Roon nucleus conundrum. Buying active speakers in a music shop or in an audiophile shop.
Nice work.
Thank you! 😁
I agree with your analysis of the cutest. The remaining bit of the puzzle, is how will the rca perform in a fully balanced headamp with xlr inputs. (Rca also available). Case in point is Oppo HA1 headamp. Or should I just sacrifice the cutest in favor of the rme, simply because of the xlr outputs.
Most balanced headphone amps I've tried (but not all) have good RCA inputs so you should be completely fine with the Qutest for RCA only connection. I would personally choose it if the HA1 has good quality RCA that matches the XLR for sound quality.
@@PassionforSound Thanks for the reply. Appreciate it.
My pleasure 🙂🙂
Cheers for another cool review! How do you set ADI-2's output volume when using it with a separate amp?
Good question. There are guidelines in the manual for this. From memory it says to use the -7.5dB setting as it's equivalent to the 2V or so output from most equipment (via RCA). It also has recommendations for XLR, but I can't even vaguely remember if it's the same or different. Sorry!
@@PassionforSound No prob! Went over this many times on the forums and manual... Used to have -7db, I've landed on -10db right now. Maybe I'll just go back to my previous settings. Just need that peace of mind, if you know what I mean :) Anyhoo, thanks!
Based on my listening tests, I think it doesn't really matter where you set it for sound quality (within reason - you don't want your amp to be dealing with a super high or super low input) so I'd use the variable output to get it just right for my needs.
The Qutest really benefits from a good power supply like a power supply or an ifi PowerX. It is also responsive to different usb cables. I settled on a Ghent usb cable for $40. It beat out an AQ Carbon, WW Starlight 7 Red and a couple of others. You get more detail and smoothness at the same time. Background is much blacker with a better power supply.
I wasn't into power supplies when I tried the Qutest, but have heard many people say the same thing. Thanks for sharing your experiences
I bought both a Schiit and an ADI-2 DAC and wound up returning both. I found them too "digital" sounding and they were tiring to listen to for long periods. I obtained a Qutest on loan from my local dealer. Wow. The Qutest was the first affordable DEC I heard that just plain sounded "musical." I ended up buying a Qutest.
That pretty much sums up my experiences too, VC. Which Schiit DAC was it?
@@PassionforSoundSchiit is just schiit. You can try a different one but in the end it is just... schiit. I'm sorry I could not resist 😂
Hi! now i'm lost! I already ordered the Singxer SA-1 and was thinking of buying the Topping D70S DAC to use with my Sennheiser HD 800 S ... but after round and round I wonder which will sound better, if the Singxer together with the D70S or together with the Qutest? ?? Or which DAC would you recommend below US $ 2000?
Hi Javier, you'll get better sound with the Singxer and either the Schiit Bifrost 2 (good) or the Chord Qutest (better). The D70S will flatten the soundstage and prevent you hearing the layering the SA-1 is capable of
@@PassionforSound Thank you! And if I want something even better than the Chord Qutest, which one can I buy?
Next step above the Qutest would be the Schiit Yggdrasil (I think - yet to try one) or Hugo TT2 (definitely)
@@PassionforSound OKAY! Thanks for sharing! For now I'm going to go for the Qutest. The others are already a little out of my budget
You'll be very happy I think 🙂
Hi There excellent comparison, I need advice, I currently have chord Hugo 2 and for my Arya headphones Which benefits from high power I am looking at Topping A90 Amp but my Hugo 2 only have RCA out will I lose resolution or experience distortion if using RCA out with A90 or getting something like D90 will give greater benefits or it will be waste of money. Thanks
Hi Lone Star, the D90 will be a waste of money as the Hugo 2 is comfortably better (based on Qutest being better in my listening tests). I'm currently preparing to review the D90/A90 stack so I can speak from experience on that.
What I don't know is whether the A90 is better than the Hugo 2 in terms of amplification. It's a nice amp, but it's not blowing me away so unless you really need the power, I'm not sure it's the best use of your money. Let me do some reading and calculations and come back to you...
Ok, did some reading and calculations and yes, the Hugo 2 is a bit short on power so the A90 is likely going to be an improvement. The question for me at the moment is whether the A90 sounds better than the THX 789 - I need to do more comparisons, but my testing of the Schiit Magnius with the 789 and A90 makes me wonder... I'll see if I can get you an answer fairly quickly... (like tomorrow or the day after)
@@PassionforSound many thanks for your quick feedback and glad to hear you will be doing a review of Topping Stack, can you please compare the RCA input via Qutest vs XLR on D90 with A90 it will really help me spend the money wisely to get the best sound. Looking forward to your review.
@@lonestar1664 no sweat! I tried the A90 RCA vs XLR today and if there's any difference it's VERY minor. I think what I'm hearing is actually the difference in quality between my excellent XLR cables and average RCA cables
@@PassionforSound many thanks again for helping with this question. You are truly amazing for answering all my questions
Which one has more defined vocal? or more lively I should say? Do you think Amp affects the vocal character more or the Dac?
Definitely both amp and DAC can influence vocal character, but the amp SHOULD be the more impactful I believe. Having too much colour coming from your DAC can make your choices in the rest of the chain very limited. As to which makes vocals more lively, that's hard to answer, but I find the Qutest separates the vocal better, provides a better sense of 3-dimensionality and texture so I would choose that over the fairly 2-dimensional sounding ADI-2
@@PassionforSound Thanks! Eyeing on Qutest, but it doesn't have balanced out, that puts me off, I can't spend that much on same level of amplifier and not full use of its balance circuit. I heard recording studios use RME products, it must be very neutral, do you think it somewhat falls flat not musical? How does it compare to like BiFrost 2 and Ares II?
A good quality headphone amp should be equally as capable via RCA as XLR inputs so don't let the single ended only outputs put you off. Unless you have ground loops issues or very long came runs, there's really not a strong enough argument for balanced connection to sacrifice product/sound quality over connector type.
As for Bifrost 2 and Ares II, the Bifrost 2 is definitely the next best choice after the Qutest. I'm not a huge fan of the Ares II because I think it's too smooth and it kills the energy on transients too much.
The use of RME products in recording studios doesn't make them great playback devices necessarily because studios are more about the analog to digital process (recording) not the digital to analog process (listening)
@@PassionforSound Very enlightening answer, everytime I learn something from you, thanks a lot!
That's great news, Dean. So glad I could help!
Hi. Thank you for your amazing reviews. I need to buy a new dac and therefore I became a huge fan of your channel. I’ve watched every video I could and your reviews are so professional and complete!Probably you could help me to choose properly. You see, I’m a concert pianist and what I would like to get is a more natural as possible sound. I don’t want the sound to be beautiful, nor bombastic, I want it to be as close as possible to reality. I have a McIntosh ma6500 amplifier, ProAC Future 0.5 speakers, MIT shotgun s3 cables and, at the moment, Cambridge Audio CXC and CXN. Would the RME give me a more truthful sound? Should I make a bigger effort and go for a more expensive dac? In the future, I’ll probably get also a new network streamer. Thank you again
Hi Stefano, I think the ADI-2 is very resolving, but I personally don't think it's the most natural sounding DAC I've tried. I believe the Schiit Bifrost 2 or Chord Qutest provide the most natural sound of DACs close (or sort of close) to the price of the ADI-2. The issue with DACs using AKM, ESS or other DAC chips is that they tend to flatten the soundstage and the result is that you don't hear the subtleties, nuance and depth in the music the way you would in a live performance. I believe Bifrost 2 and Qutest do this much better.
@@PassionforSound thank you so much. I’ll probably spend more and go for a Hugo TT2 then, as I would also like to have a headphone amplifier
@@PassionforSound ...and what about the Mytek Brooklyn? You have never reviewed it. Do you know by any chance whether it has a natural sound, or how it compares to the other DACs you mentioned? Thanks
Awesome. You'll love it!
Hi Stefano, I'm yet to try the Mytek gear - sorry! The Burson Composer is an option that I have coming up for review. It's performing really well and may be another one worth considering. Stay tuned! 🙂
Another great review - Thanks for your efforts! Where would you place the Denafrips Ares II Dac in comparison with these 2? - Does it compete, or are these two the next level up??
It's a very different beast. I think to me, the Qutest is clearly the best of the three on pure sound quality. After that, it's very much about either tonal character and soundstaging vs features. The ADI-2 is a beast for features, but the sound leaves me pretty cold. The Ares II is very rich and warm for a DAC and can lack a sense of energy and excitement, but throws a big spacious soundstage.
In think if you asked me to rank them in order of my sonic preference it would be Qutest, Ares, ADI-2
@@PassionforSound Thanks for the great reply, really appreciate it, Cheers! OK, what about the Bitfrost 2? Above the Ares?? - I'm researching a new DAC to pair with my Senn HDV 820 (which has a DAC), but I want a separate stand alone unit. HP's are 660S, AKG 701's & Arya. I don't get to demo or test any new gear, so I have to read many reviews and watch channels like yours to make an informed decision :)
To me and based only on what I've personally tried, the Bifrost 2 is the best DAC other than the Qutest before you start getting to crazy prices. It's very similar to the Qutest in many ways, but I think slightly less resolving, but only by a tiny margin I think (I haven't had the chance to try them side-by-side)
would be interesting to compare matrix audio dacs with that mix since they have cheaper options or slightly more expensive yet newer chips
Good idea, Sall. I used to own a Matrix X-Sabre so I'm definitely a fan of their products!
Passion for Sound Personally looking for a Dac at sub 1000$ to pair with Woo’s WA2 but since my adx5000 and amp didn’t arrive yet I’ll keep exploring until I hear the sound signature first🥵
Good luck in the hunt. I hope the ADX5000s arrive soon!
@@sallom432 you might want to check out the schiit bifrost 2 dac. Excellent value for money.
I wonder if the sound comparison between the two would be any different now that the ADI-2 uses ESS DAC chips?
Unlikely it will change more than a tiny amount. There's only so much that any company can do with the standard filters built into ESS chips (or the other chip-based Delta Sigma DAC options)
Agreed, I thought about as much. I struggled for days trying to make up my mind, but in the end it came down to Swiss Army knife for testing in multiple scenarios. If I had purchased the Qutest, I would have put it in my system, set it and forget it. ADI-2 will be here today. Thanks for the guidance. Still, I could have had a CHORD 😢. The input auto detect is also a neat feature on the ADI.
The ADI-2 has some amazing features so if you're going to tweak and adjust, you'll have a lot of fun that the Qutest can't provide. 🙂
Thank you for this review! I have a Qutest and I agree 100% with your thoughts on this one. I wonder if you like the Qutest more than the Mojo 2 as a DAC only? - I can’t pick a winner…
The Mojo 2 is excellent, but when I tried it against the Hugo 2, the Hugo 2 was a bit better and it uses the same DAC stage as the Qutest. It will depend a bit on your amp though as to whether you can extract the differences.
@@PassionforSound Thank you for sharing, Lachlan! I tried the Mojo 2 and the Qutest with the Genelec 8331A and I liked more the Qutest, but for headphone listening I really enjoyed the crossfeed and eq options on the Mojo 2.
I agree that the crossfeed and EQ on the Mojo 2 are brilliant! Qutest wins on pure resolution and detail, but those extra features are brilliant!
@@PassionforSound I agree. Thank you for your reply! Have a great day
You too, Jose!
Have you tried Octo Dac 8 Stereo? I can only find a few reviews but all exceptional. Stereophile rated it Class A and comparable to $15k MBL. My curiosity is peeked.
I haven't tried that one - sorry
fun review
Glad you liked it!
To my ears, the bass is where the RME shines the most. It`s, perhaps, the only dac, to my knowledge, that handles bass "correctly". There is a interesting video on this exact thing on RME`s channel, where the adi is the only reference level converter in the shootout who can control the low end properly.
Thanks for sharing. I'll take a look at that video, but I'm also aware that every manufacturer makes statements like that because they all (understandably) believe they are right.
I've been trying to find the video, but I can't. Do you know what it's called?
@@PassionforSound Thank`s for answering. Opinions will vary :) Here is the link: ruclips.net/video/doHG32aXBDY/видео.html
Thanks for the link. There's no doubt the ADI-2 is brilliant, but I think he's talking about the bass from the ADI-2 combated to the other 2 DACs in the studio. There are so many great options out there that I'd say the ADI-2 is one of many that do a very good job. The Topping D90, Chord Qutest and even Denafrips Ares II can all compete with (or even beat) the ADI-2 in some areas while the ADI-2 beats each of those in other areas. Such are the joys of this hobby!
@@PassionforSound I should have said "that I have heard". He is, of course, talking about the mastering DACs in the comparison - but I find the same to be true when I compare it to a handful of other DACs that I own. The RME is my most expensive, and I haven`t had the chance to actually compare it to other super high end DACs (other than the shootout I referenced).
In order for us to hear the diff. we need the raw files, it's lost on YT conversion.
Yes
As a satisfied owner of the ADI 2, I thought this was an interesting revue, the only way it could be fairer would be if you had changed anything in the ADI's settings that made you like the effect the most. An obvious setting change from S D sharp to long, for example.
My decision to buy the RME was not based purely on sound if it had been I probably would have bought the Schit Bifrost 2 , I chose it because in combination with my valve amp I have the freedom to sett my sound to such a grate extent that if I don't like the sound, it would be my fault for not making the right choices.
There's no doubt that the range of settings available on the ADI-2 makes it very versatile! I may not have mentioned it in the review, but I did try the various filters and they didn't shift things significantly enough to warrant a mention in the video.
Depending on when you purchased, you might also have a different DAC chip version. At the time of this review, they were using an ESS chip, but moved to AKM at some point too.
What about hugo2 vs qutest like dac?
As DACs they're basically identical as they use the same DAC stage. The Qutest has galvanic isolation on the USB input (Hugo 2 doesn't) and Qutest is better suited to desktop setups so it depends on whether you need the portability and inbuilt headphone amp.
@@PassionforSound thank you so much. For me your response is very important.
I just looking for other DAC, but for me even the little differences are important. And I dont care if I will not use the other features of hugo 2 if its sound is better than Qutest sound. But If you say that both sound the same in DAC mode, then I will buy Qutest.
I am looking for other DAC with different sound vs my rme adi 2 Sabre. I dont like the sound of adi, only if I use 7 Band Parametric EQ for each headphone I can enjoy adi 2. But even my Chinese DACs sound more clear than my adi 2 and more enjoyable too. I hope Chord would be the flavor that I am looking without using EQ.
I think you'll be very happy with the Qutest. I thought it was significantly better than the ADI-2 and you can comfortably by the Qutest rather than Hugo 2 if you don't need the portability or in-built headphone amp 🙂
Hi,
Thank You for the great analysis.
I just bought the ADI-2, and i'm getting lost through the menu/buttons system, really super user un-friendly. (The comic 70 pages manual doesn't help).
Apart from that (still have to find out how manage the EQ.. ), the sound is very detailed and sweet at the same time.
Fast attack and decay too. I'd say a modern sound.
Maybe to my ears it's not very "wow" or very exciting, or magic. I feel like an inspector, looking for sound flaws, instead of loosing space-time into the music flow.
Not sure if I prefer the much more grainy and congested sound of the Jolida Fx Tube Dac, which I used for years.. (Mullard tubes added :))
But there's something more "dynamic", more raw, more real, even with much more distortion and much less details, in the chinese one.
Something less digital and more analog.
I hope to appreciate the Adi-2 more, maybe after some EQ settings.
You're very welcome. I think what you are hearing and what's detracting from the pure enjoyment is the digital edge that I commented on (i.e. we are talking about the same thing, but calling it different things - I don't know if there's a "right" term for it). To me, that's what (very) slightly held back the ADI-2 from a pure sound perspective, but it's still an excellent DAC. Maybe have a play with a very subtle cut in the EQ at around the 1-2kHz mark. I can't remember exactly where I was hearing the 'edge', but I'd start with some upper mid/treble frequencies and see if that works. It's possible of course that it all comes back to very minor timing errors as I discussed in my M-Scaler video in which case EQ will never fix it and you might be better off looking at something like the Denafrips Ares II (review coming soon). But don't lose hope yet. Give yourself some time to adjust to the sound of the ADI-2 and get used to the crazy menu. It's a really outstanding device and will reward you in time I think once you adjust to the different sound, particularly coming from the Tube DAC.
Passion for Sound
Thank You for your answer.
I'll do my best to open my ears and hopes to this new dac.
( i have to confess that i'm a huge Jolida fan ;)
Their pre-phono is just .. unrealistically good.)
I had a Qutest which I returned as it failed. I got an RME ADI2 instead and I think your comments around the difference in SQ are very much in line with my experience. I’ll swap back at some point.
Thanks for sharing your experiences, Barry! Sorry to hear about your Qutest. Hope you're still enjoying the music 🙂
Dont underestimate that the digital cable used has a major effect on the sound as does the source.
I agree, Robert! I'm very careful to match all elements as much as I can for this reason.
Great video and very informative and very pleasant way how you present (voice, gesture, lighting,...) - really enjoy, even content I would not need to listen to.
Re the Chord, obvoiusly, their engineers did a terrific job with programming their own DAC chip. This provides the opportunity of 'enhancing' the sound stage and make it sound a bit wider by adding a (tiny) bit of psycho acoustics to their algorythm, such as a very decent reverb, plus a small portion of spatial stereo widening to compensate for any sound stage narrowing effects from the reverb. I can imagine what internal debates and endless listening sessions their engineers and product managers must have gone through to get such a great sounding device to the market.
Do I know? Not really, but exactly this would be my approach if my engineering team needed to develop the decoding by themselves for a custom developed DAC-chip.
I am just in the phase of experimenting with adding very subtle reverb to the music I am listening to - with superb sound enrichment and stage depth. The trick is to keep the reverb that low that you would never detect any signs of reverb, such as short echoes when stopping yoour source to play. Im am doing it with the PC software VoiceMeeter Potato which is a great platform for experimentation for different ways of altering sound without the need for costly hardware.
Hi JoF, the results of Chord's DAC design aren't from any kind of DSP, but from better reconstruction of the timing of transients in the music. I'd recommend checking out my interview with Rob Watts (Chord's DAC designer) for a thorough explanation.
Not that there's anything wrong with using DSP. I just wanted to clarify
@@PassionforSound I watched the interview part one which is truly great.
So, let me correct my self: Indeed, he does not use any of those typical DSP chips. Instead he does the sound generation via the FPGA programming which, of course, is far more complex than relying on a DSP chip with its prebuilt instruction set.
Anyway, and this was my point, he digitally shapes the sound with the SW, i.e. the transients, the noise floor, the harmonics, etc.
And, most importantly, he does it quit well, doesn‘t he? Thanks again for this great video - learned a lot from it.
Glad you liked it. I'm not being picky, but wanted to clarify something for others who might read this. What the WTA filters in the FPGAs are doing is applying a more intensive reconstruction filter compared to traditional Delta Sigma DAC chips (ESS/AKM, etc.) These DACs all have to use filters to manage the reconstruction of the analog waveform from the digital data, but most off-the-shelf DACs apply the filter algorithms 100s of times (100s of taps). The use of FPGAs in Chord DACs allows them to apply their filters 1,000s of times and therefore better construct the waveform with greater timing accuracy. This accuracy is what enhances our perception of transients, soundstage and timbre. It's not so much manipulating the sound that comes out so much as trying to make it as accurate as possible to the original.
Again, not trying to be pedantic, but some might see "digitally shaping the sound" as messing with the integrity of the source which isn't their intention. 🙂
@@PassionforSound Thanks for your comment and clarification. I think we're both pretty much in sync: I did not want to allege they are doing psychoacoustics in their DAC or so.
I fully agree that they are hunting down to get a most clear and good sounding analogue signal, back from digital bits and bytes flowing in. And, they take massive research, efforts, and engineerial science to do that in a wonderful way!
Which brings me to another question (might be an interessting topic for a video): What do we from a listening standpoint believe to be the acoustic truth?
I remember well how shocked I was during my first visit of a recording and mastering studio many years back.
No monster loudspeaker cables or ultra-expensive XLR-cables, instead lots of room treatment, stable power supply, and (that was what shocked me most) each microphone signal was captured into a single strip tube amplifier with lots of attenuators for warmth, saturation, etc. And in mastering, there, again, were full racks of gear to run signals or groups through to alter the sound, not to talk about the digital alterations done by the mastering engineer.
And as if this was not enough I learned that sometimes they ran a certain track, such as the guitars for blues music, through an CD-to-MP3 encoder and backwards, just to create a certain type of artificial transients that come from the lossy conversion. Of course, the final product was called DMM audiophile CD or so.
After this experience, I stopped complaining about MP3 (320 Kbps vs CD), ultra-expensice cabling, and trying to end up with a new piece of gear every three month, just because of a new review of a magazine. Instead, pretty much of my gear has turned from audiophile towards professional, allowing me to tweak sound towards my personal pleasure.
Nevertheless, I have highest respect for companies like Chord or RME (and many others) who do their very best to engineer and build such great products, making excellent sound feasible for many. And, more and more, there a nice cross-over products, combining the best from two worlds.
Great that you spend your time with such great reviews, truly inspiring content, and take some time forr answering - highly appreciated!
Great point about the studio approach! To mixthings up even more, this can also vary drastically from one studio/engineer to the next! Thanks for commenting 🙂
I will buy Qutest for my Mac and bw 803. You sb a hypnotist.
Haha. You'll love it!
Well done! I think you characterized the Chord sound perfectly: musical realism.
Thanks rover!
Have you tried cheaper alternative to Chord Qutest ?
I've tried many cheaper DACs. Did you mean one in particular? Chord Mojo perhaps?
@@PassionforSound No Chord Mojo is portable. Maybe something like JDS EL Dac II ? Or even Toping D90 ?
Got it. I'm trying to secure a Topping D90 at the moment (along with A90). I'm also looking at a Bifrost 2 potentially as well.
I'm yet to hear a cheaper DAC that performs significantly above its pricepoint except perhaps the Topping E30, but that still only plays at the level of the D50S so it's not a giant killer or anything. You ultimately tend to get what you pay for in most cases, despite what some people on forums might tell you 😉
Very nice review. Clearly showed me how sound differs between the two. Would you advise the THX789 is a good match for the Qutest? I mean it's a cheaper Amp so if one goes for the Qutest, would upgrading the Amp be needed to fully explore the potential of the Qutest? Thanks
Thanks Shoaib. The 789 is definitely a nice start with the Qutest, but it will limit the overall performance. In other words, you would need to upgrade the 789 at some point to really hear the most of the Qutest's capabilities.
@@PassionforSound thanks mate
@@PassionforSound What need to buy for the qutest? that much better than 789?
Hi Saar, I'd look at something like the Burson Soloist 3XP, Monolith Liquid Platinum or even a Topping A90. For that matter, the Topping L30 is slightly better (for single-ended output only) than the 789.
@@PassionforSound But I dont think the A90 a lot than 789.. If I have Sabre 9018 dac the qutest improve a lot?
I have the utmost respect for companies like Chord and Schiit for making their own DAC designs rather than using off the shelf chips. Granted Chord and Schiit go about it a very different way but respect none the less!
Agree. To me it shows a real commitment to seeking the best possible sound.
RME is not buying DAC units of the shelf, in the pro units, the even write their own USB drivers (not using the OS generic ones).
The USB drivers and DAC filters are very different, Benny. Perhaps in the pro gear RME are using custom filters (but I doubt it), but we're talking about the consumer grade device here which uses either AKM or ESS chips (depending on the version) and uses the stock filters from those chips - the same filters used by Topping, SMSL, Burson Audio, FiiO, etc.
@@PassionforSound As I said they compete (the opinion of some of the best mastering engineers in the world, not just me), with the best DACs in the pro audio, and are praised for the DAC and super clean preamps. So I guess it's probably (Even though I have some masters I did hear in the mastering room. I hope you agree this is what we try to replicate) much closer to the real sound then I ever heard from a sub 10K pro DACs. I assumed they use the same DAC units in the ADI-2, but I might be wrong on THIS.
Benny, I'd recommend checking out some of my interviews with Rob Watts from Chord Electronics where he discusses the limitations of the DAC chips in products like the ADI-2 (not a knock on the ADI-2, just a reality of the chips used. As I said before, the priority for mixing engineers and audiophiles are quite different.
Interestingly, I've heard that some studios and engineers have actually begun buying Chord DACs for this reason.
Was the comparison made with headphones only?
Hi Mark, yes. All my reviews are with headphones
@@PassionforSound thank you for your reply
It's very very bad that the RME have only a few digitial inputs. Please give me 4 coax and 2 optical inputs. The chord cannot deal with emphasized cds.
There's not too many DACs or there with that many inputs. 2 coax and 2 optical exist, but 4 coax is very unusual.
@@PassionforSound 2 coax + 2 opt would be enough. So some cents more to build for the RME.. Dont't understand it anyway.
Yeah, for a device of this nature, I agree a couple of inputs of those types might have been good
I have the RME pro version,its amazing sound with HUGE functionality....
I've not seen/tried the Pro version
Perfect summarize of the Chord Qutest. I have heart the dac irl at the shop never heart the rme but it sounds like sounds a bit like a topping high end dac or a schiit dac "harsh". Chord Qutest sounds real smooth. Is there a dac that you know of that sounds better or the same as Chord Qutest but has the features of the rme?
Thanks Bloodpearl. I haven't come across another DAC with the RME features as yet. The nearest I've found is the TT2 because it offers the crossfeed and variable outputs, but no EQ, balance, etc. It's also not quite as smooth as the Qutest, but it's so resolving and still has the depth of the soundstage that those other DACs are missing.
The RME is quite a bit above the Topping D90.
Add an upgraded linear PS to the RME and you have clearly better SQ than the Qutest for significantly less money.
Grab an iFi Elite power supply and use the RME’s SDLD or Slow filters. Never the factory default SD Sharp (which is dry and edgy).
I haven't tried the RME with a different power supply, but I don't necessarily agree on the claim that the RME will be clearly better than the ADI-2. I'm not saying it couldn't be better, but I think different people and different systems will suit each DAC differently.
Thanks for your review. I’m not sure what you mean when you say the dacs sound different though. In engineering terms both dacs are transparent. We know this because the data is published, all distortion and jitter artefacts are in the region of -140db or less, which is about as inaudible as one can get. Can you elaborate on how you achieve this?
Hi Kristian, measurements of distortion don't cover everything about the tonal character of the DAC. Check out my interviews with Rob Watts (Chord) and Jason Stoddard (Schiit) for further explanation.
I'd like to see you review the RME Adi-2 Pro FS R.
Hi Ron, thanks for the suggestion, but I doubt I can do justice to the Pro version as I don't have significant A/D converter experience. I'll chat to the local supplier about if there's a consumer (DAC only) version coming though.
@@PassionforSound I apologize in advance, but I am confused by your answer. I'm sure this is due to my lack of experience with these types of components. Isn't the ADI-2 Pro an improved/updated version of the Adi-2 DAC FS? Am I wrong in thinking the Adi-2 DAC and the Adi-2 Pro are both AMP/DAC combos? If I'm not wrong, reviewing the Pro wouldn't involve any more of the refined skills/experience you already possess? Currently there aren't any quality reviews on YT for the Pro so I am hoping you could change that. I bought the Topping A90 and D90 based on your review, but now I'm thinking the Adi-2 Pro may be a potential endgame for me and perhaps other headphone/amp hobbyists.
RME actually highly suggests the ADI-2 over the pro. The changes are very small and the price difference isn’t justified unless you plan on mastering and doing professional work.
That's correct. And the Pro version is a two-way converter for use in recording studios. It does A/D as well as D/A conversion.
@@johnk7451 Thanks for your reply, John. Coincidentally, I'm an unemployed mastering amateur with plans on using the Adi-2 Pro to work my way up to professional status. ; )
I hope you appreciate the humor as it was intended. I've decided against the Adi-2 Pro after reading the following forum:
www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-rme-adi-2-pro-comparison-to-adi-2-dac.2682/