RME ADI-2 DAC FS is it "All That", especially for under $2,000?

The RME is excellent as pre to a power amp or powered speakers. Also here lots of appraisals for the Matrix DAC regarding its output stage.

@sathtom
Cambridge 851C CDP/DAC. It’s a full CD player with preamp out and DAC input in - same as the 851D. The 851C is very good and I’m keeping it to use as a transport but the RME is a better DAC, more refined by a good margin. 

Saying the ADI-2 FS has a narrow soundstage compared to DAC's with tube outputs is...obvious. That's the point of tubes - fatten up the imaging and expand the soundstage.

Compared to other solid state DAC's the ADI-2 FS soundstage width/height/depth is fine. Imaging is very solid, which can contribute to the perception of a narrow soundstage. But I've found that recordings with big images and big soundstages are presented as such, and recordings with smaller images and narrow soundstages are presented accordingly. In short, it's an honest DAC.

Agree with @jeenam thats it’s an honest DAC. It is accurate but with no glare or harshness whatsoever. Can listen to the RME for hours with no fatigue whatsoever. Now if ones system is thin or bright to begin with then yeah it might just pass the cr@p right on through, but on my system it’s smooth even on the most unforgiving filter which is what I use.

Just changed the power cord on my transport from a Nordost Vishnu, which is a very good cable, to a WyWires Silver Juice II Digital and the change was easily noticeable to a wider stage and dare I say smoother or the noise floor dropped a smidge. With my ModWright preamp and Pass amp this DAC is very musical, fast, exceptional bottom end and extracts more out of recordings than any digital front end I’ve heard. I run mine with everything off and the volume fixed and it’s smooth. If one did find it a little too clean there’s a ton of ways to go into the menu and blend away but I’ve not found the desire to mess with it as I find it great running it straight out.

Would love to compare this DAC to a +$4K machine as I suspect much of that cost is going into the big machined box. RME claims no need to try a linear power supply but I’m tempted to try a Sbooster or Pardo PS to hear if this thing can get any better. I run it off my PS Audio P5 so not sure It would make a difference, so if anyone has changed out the PS I’d appreciate their thoughts.

I am not an owner of this DAC neither I have tried it but I have read

I’m tempted to try a Sbooster or Pardo PS to hear if this thing can get any better.

That an LPS provides some enhancements, I am following this thread because I have been wanting to get one, very split between the DAC and the FS cause I would like to possibly record vinyl