Just an update on new products, there is no RME audio gear talk section, so I thought better post it hear instead of not at all.
The interesting thing about this is that RME technicians have relentlessly defended that their included SMPS is good enough. Either they have heard/measured the result and found what I and others have, or they have not but given in for the pressure and said, “f*ck it, we are lossing incremental sales to third party market holders”
They’re just meeting a market opportunity.
A well designed SMPS is better than any LPS, so it’s probably market pressure - and snake oil in my book. Interestingly, the manual doesn’t show any measurements proving that this LPS improves the performance of any of their own DACs.
(I need an audio interface and was considering the RME BabyFace and MOTU M6. It’s going to be MOTU now.)
I would say the sensitivity of the ongoing equipment is the stuff affected by the psu not the DAC itself. Poorly shield amps possibly. Not noticed a bit of difference in all the systems I have used with the ADI2 with or without a linear psu sounds the same to me. But each to their own.
Never the less, for whatever reason, I will relentlessly be searching for an account somewhere, to hide this cost, 'cuz I will eventually want to have one, the future successor of the one now in place…
No, and perhaps there are none, and they cannot claim it without loosing their credibility for ever, after relentlessly defending their SMPS. But for the record, there are very few expernal PSU’s whatever the technology, that display uV ripple as single units in their specs. In theory the former LT voltage regulators, now Analogue Devices, showed specs like that and very good feed ripple suppression as well @ above 80 dB, but having I built unit, with all additional stuff onboard, one cannot choose many inferior components and remain on singular uV ripple level.
However I have a linear PSU that feeds both my DAC and my output USB controller card (Matrix Element H), that sets common ground between the two devices and minimum of eddy currents. I hear the difference.
Comment of Matthias Carstens, Co-Founder of RME:
The PS can be used with any of our units. And no, there is no difference in sound.
Wonder if Jussi is going to purchase one and do his magical multitone measurement, with any of his RME’s and post it here. Clean power and grounds is one of my fields and subject for great interest, as music is no less than modulated mains in one way or the other.
So music is 20% faster in the US compared to Europe 
Seriously, it’s not that.
All I can say is this LMAO!!! for almost a decade they defended switching PSU vs Linear…
Now that its there, I want to know how much it cost and may try one if its not too expensive hahahahahha
I got LHY’s 80VA LPS in 24VDC output form to power my Ferrum Wandla in living room to solve annoying SMPS brick ground current “whisper” issue. Worked perfectly, now it is dead silent.
Sure that RME PSU is neat. I’m occasionally powering my other ADI-2 Pro from the medical grade CUI SMPS 12VDC power brick which is a bit overkill (60 VA), but I avoid crawling under the desk to disconnect the stock PSU. But I feel that this is also better than the stock one (and not expensive).
P.S. If you run HQPlayer’s metering, you can quite many times see SMPS whine lines on hires recordings. Usually somewhere in 30 - 40 kHz range. On older ones sometimes from CRT displays as well.
You can see in MHz with an analyzer, but you can’t hear that. In contrast, if LPSs had such lines, you wouldn’t see them, since they would be in the audible range, but you might be able to hear them.
It is interesting to read firm opinions from persons revealing NONE or rudimentary physics studies or perhaps sleeping while … and have the guts to ask me to be serious?
Mains is not faster, when transformed, rectified and filtered, hence it is converted to DC, prior to the music modulation.
Further, even if you cannot hear MHz, high kHz and other noise ■■■■ going on, it does not mean the components won’t react on it while trying to modulate and fail when it is beyond the spec frequency range. And while trying, the components flaws create audible harmics IN the audible frequency range.
LPS and SMPS is just techniques to achieve the desired DC sufficient for the job. Both of those techniques can like us do the job Good, Well or Poorly. It is not the techniques fault, the designer get the result from pcb design and choice of components, that he/she deserves. Some buy polyprop filter film caps, another buy polyester film. One is creating noise, the other not as much. etc etc
You mean like the irritating mechanical coil whines that many idling (unloaded) SMPS make? It is really annoying, like listening to constant tinnitus.
Thanks Jussi, that’s a very useful deflection.
There are 2 types
DSP-2 for € 1000
LNI-2-DC for € 500
Delivery starts at May 30 2024. Prices are approximately.
Aproximately 900% of what I would be willing to pay for a PSU, to be more exact.
I don’t think it will be the sound studios who are going to buy those PSUs.
On the other side, having an own product for the audiophile market is better than leaving the field to the competition.
I know many studios and location recording people use 12V car batteries (AGM) for the purpose. That’s a bit like LPS. IIRC, RME even offers wiring harness for the purpose.
Medical grade? So that the patient doesn’t get a shock? 