RME ADI-2/4 Pro SE

Somehow RME have managed to make their world‑class converter even better!

RME’s extensive range of audio interfaces sets a reference standard for audio professionals and keen amateurs alike providing, amongst other things, immaculate sound quality, pragmatic feature sets, and excellent low‑latency drivers with legendary longevity.

In recent years, there’s been a growing interest in RME’s interfaces from the hi‑fi fraternity too, and RME have responded by optimising some of their smaller products specifically for that market — adding things like handheld IR remote controls, RIAA correction, trigger outputs (for powering external devices on/off), ‘balanced’ headphone connections, and more.

However, don’t let this hi‑fi lustre mislead — the mildly refocused functionality doesn’t preclude using these devices within a studio environment at all, and it could be argued that some of these features bring valuable benefits not otherwise available on the company’s more conventional products.

The latest model in this ‘enhanced’ range is the ADI‑2/4 Pro SE (Special Edition); essentially a development of the ADI‑2 Pro I reviewed back in April 2017, which was itself revised as the ADI‑2 Pro FS R. Needless to say, the ADI‑2/4 Pro SE boasts further improved technical specs and a faster, more powerful DSP than its forebear, as well as extended connectivity and a few other new features.

Overview

Like its predecessor, the ADI‑2/4 Pro SE can serve many functions. It is a mastering‑quality stereo A‑D/D‑A converter with impeccable specifications, supporting all sample rates up to 768kHz as well as DSD, but it can also serve as the preamp in a hi‑fi system. It includes two independent, high‑powered stereo headphone amps (or one super‑high‑powered stereo ‘balanced’ headphone amp). It features a very versatile USB 2.0 interface configurable for 2x4 or 6x8 connectivity, supporting DSD record and playback formats as well as providing analogue, S/PDIF, AES3 and (stereo) ADAT interfacing. It is fully class‑compliant with compatible platforms, and employs RME’s well‑established MADIface drivers on PC platforms for incredibly low latency and rock‑solid stability. Naturally, RME’s SteadyClock technology minimises jitter and its related harms, too.

Comprehensive internal DSP functionality includes stereo sample rate conversion, digital emphasis correction, Mid‑Sides processing, mono summing and polarity inversion, headphone crossfeed, adjustable A‑D/D‑A converter filter parameters, loudness contouring, rumble filtering and parametric EQ, spectrum analyser metering — and much more besides. Uniquely for the ADI‑2/4 Pro SE it even includes the ability to connect directly with a (moving magnet) turntable cartridge, to perform digital RIAA correction. And it comes with a neat infra‑red remote control to access a lot of the unit’s functionality directly, including via several user‑programmable buttons.

Physically, the ADI‑2/4 Pro SE is an attractive, half‑rack‑width unit, with most of the I/O on the rear panel, and configuration and control functions accessed via menus on the small but crisp front‑panel colour display. The unit’s operation and configuration paradigms are the same as other ADI‑2 series units, and as described in my review of the ADI‑2 Pro, so I’ll not labour that again here. Personally, I don’t find the menu‑diving entirely intuitive on a first outing, but it is logical enough once you’re familiar with it.

The front panel is home to a pair of quarter‑inch headphone outputs and a 4.4mm Pentaconn socket, something not often spotted in the pages of SOS.

The Ins &...