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ls13coco
79
Aug 10, 2019
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If anyone gets a chance to compare this D70 with the RME-ADI 2, please respond with your thoughts. :) Torn between the two, don't really NEED the built in amp or eq of the RME and like the price difference in favor of the D70, but ultimately the decision would be upon actual dac performance/sound difference. :)
Aug 10, 2019
KingFiercer
14
Aug 10, 2019
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ls13cocoThere is review and comparsion on russian here: https://www.dastereo.ru/t/czap-rme-adi-2-pro-fs-chip-ak4490-razryvayas-mezhdu-umom-i-krasotoj-tur-idet/43726/61 In short: RME is higher level overall, more resolution, more dynamics, but also is less forgiveness. RME is great via USB, D70 is not that good, but via SPDIF it's good close enough. D70 is better in DAC mode than in PRE-amp mode. RME is accurate, D70 is bit softer and "prettier sounding". I'm using D70 via USB and I'm very happy after 2 years of using Fostex HP-A4BL, there is more opened and effortless sound reproduction with better resolution and soundstaging. Using it with HA22TUBE and Sennheiser HD660S.
(Edited)
Aug 10, 2019
ls13coco
79
Aug 10, 2019
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KingFiercerSo D70 may be a bit "warmer" and less clinical? I guess I will see how I like RDR compared to my brighter dac with Sparkos op-amps and judge from there as at this point softer and prettier does sound appealing. Thanks for the info! I do plan to use usb so that is a consideration as well.
Aug 10, 2019
KingFiercer
14
Aug 10, 2019
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ls13cocoAs I understand RME ADI-2 has very neutral and precise sound without becoming clinical, and D70 in comparsion is "adding a bit beauty and softness, deepens the soundstage, vocal is filled with breast shades, disadvantages of recordings are masked due to lower resolution. Without comparsion D70 is pretty good enough to live with it".
(Edited)
Aug 10, 2019
JJayJJ
472
Aug 11, 2019
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ls13cocoAnyone telling you they can tell the difference between either is lying or under massive placebo. Also anyone claiming they can tell the difference yet not employ extremely high performing amps like the Benchmark HP4A, or the THX 789, or the JDS Atom are wasting their time. You can't measure DAC's if your amp is the bottleneck. Both of these devices perform essentially at levels beyond human discernability (unless you can misten to music at 110-120dbSPL for extended periods of time). I'll be the first to tell you, if you don't care about the DSP of the RME ADI 2, or the amp sections, then then get the D70 if performance is what you're after. I say this as an ADI 2-DAC owner.
Aug 11, 2019
ls13coco
79
Aug 12, 2019
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JJayJJThanks sir! Yeah I imagine discerning DACs would be pretty hard for most ears. I have yet to use more than one dac with my 6 amps, until my Rdac arrives. If anything, I imagine a R2R dac would be the easiest to distinguish if anything so if I hardly notice a difference, I will be even more into the idea of the much cheaper D70. All I know is I don't like the idea of Sabre, so both being higher end (in my budget) AKM chip based DACs has me oodling over both. Got a Loki on the way for that EQ and intend on getting the iCan Pro which has its own adjustments so yeah, looks like D70 will be the way! :)
Aug 12, 2019
JJayJJ
472
Aug 12, 2019
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ls13cocoIf you have an R2R Airist coming, I'd pass on it over something like this to be honest. Resistor Ladder DAC's were just an older/more cumbersome way of doing things back in the day. There are no sonic quality advantages to be had with it, and going by the official published specifications of that DAC, it's nothing to write home about. Especially problematic is seeing how it's over $300 and not balanced. There's just far too much comeptition today to consider a non-balanced DAC at that price. You could get a D50S from Topping if you don't care for balanced and I would be willing to wager anything in my possession that the D50S performs much better than the R2R from Airist. On top of the D50S being cheaper, you also get a serious implementation of Bluetooth input (in my book this is a very serious feature for future-proofing and such other, and simply one more input choice that I've lately started using when I don't want to fire up my computer for example). The other issue with Airist being the whole plagiarized ordeal, I'm not versed with the latest develpments, but it's not looking good from an ethics standpoint (this perhaps is irrelevant in totality to our discussion so nevermind this point if this isn't a concern). If you have the ability, I would implore you save your money and cancel that order. Unless of course you can't help yourself and want to stack it with a 789 purely for the sake of looks.
Aug 12, 2019
ls13coco
79
Aug 12, 2019
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JJayJJHonestly just have been wanting to try a R2R dac for about a year now, was between the Airist and the Audio gd R2r11 as they are both some of the more cost effective ways to go of that path, but went the Airist route due to having a 789 and CTH to stack nicely with. I'm a big fan of tube amps and my current DAC is very bright sounding with its 4 Sparkos op-amps, so I definitely like the idea of hearing a polar opposite and at least finding one of my amps to pair with it. Then adding in something like the D70 in the near future. I'm a bit ocd with accumulating the gear that interests me, but worst case scenario I will sell the R2R if I don't like it's sound and buy the D70 sooner than planned. :) Getting a Sys soon so I should be able to do some good A/B between the DACs and form some thoughts!
Aug 12, 2019
JJayJJ
472
Aug 12, 2019
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ls13cocoOh goodness, please not an audio-gd device.. If there was anything I could ask you avoid like the plague it's their devices. Terrible measurements, and also false advertisers fudging specifications.. If you need any demonstration of this, just see for yourself: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-audio-gd-r2r11-dac-amp.5779/ That is partially why I would urge not wasting your money on such nonsense. Here's their even more expensive NFB28.28: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/review-and-measurements-of-audio-gd-nfb28-28-dac-and-headphone-amp.5147/ Pure garbage, and legally should face reprimand for posting bogus specifications. The Airist, I can at least hope the specifications are as Massdrop say they are, so it should be fine (again the value proposition is the problem, but if you just want a nice looking box to go with a 789, then I guess I can understand). But audio-gd, please do not give those people any of your money. They epitomize one of the many things wrong in this hobby.
Aug 12, 2019
KingFiercer
14
Aug 12, 2019
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JJayJJHave you listened any of the audio-gd? Bad measurements don't always correspond to bad sound. I owned earlier PCM1704-based DAC-19 and Reference 8 and they were not half bad, rich and distinctive sound, enchanting in some ways. Don't know anything about their new R2R DACs so I can't judge.
(Edited)
Aug 12, 2019
ls13coco
79
Aug 14, 2019
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JJayJJI would give them a shot still, I've seen too many reviewers and people with more experience in this hobby using and loving Audio-gd gear. I've been on ASR for some time now, I do take in what is said there but we all do have differing preferences to sound and believe there's much more to it than measurements. Appreciate the direction though. :) Just curious if you have had a bad personal experience with Audio-gd?
Aug 14, 2019
JJayJJ
472
Aug 14, 2019
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ls13cocoAside from low-end and some high-end not being particularly good on low impedence headphones. Not much else really. Had a friend with one that had issues with volume control (it was laggy of sorts, like dropping input and not responding all the time). The problem with audio-gd is mostly due to secondary things. Being their price to performance ratio makes zero sense (literally anything would be better for the price), and the fact they've been caught fudging specifications. It's simply a company I'd avoid on those two metrics alone.
Aug 14, 2019
ls13coco
79
Aug 15, 2019
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JJayJJFair enough! Dealing when customer support issues could also pose a.. issue in my mind. Language barrier, sending a unit to China and all that. Either way, I doubt I will be buying anything Audio-gd as my want list doesn't include their gear. I will update here on thoughts of the Airist R2R though, hopefully early September when it arrives.
Aug 15, 2019
Major_Infidel
316
Sep 22, 2019
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ls13cocoI’m not speaking from experience here, but one thing I’ve heard is that the RME DAC/amp combo is particularly brilliant for use with very efficient, high end IEMs. I too am facing the same decision between the D70 and the RME. And I say this as one who has the THX 789 on order. If I was only concerned about driving my HD800S headphones, the relative cost savings of the D70/THX 789 would be hard to pass up. But also being a Campfire Solaris owner, I wonder if the extra expense of the RME/THX 789 combo isn’t worth it given the added features and flexibility.
(Edited)
Sep 22, 2019
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