• RobHu
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Topic: Feature request: ADI-2 "Black-out mode"

I got the ADI-2 Pro just before Christmas to pair with my Audeze LCD-3s, and have found it to be absolutely outstanding. I was intending to get a Schiit audio stack, but a good friend of mine persuaded me to consider RME's products because he greatly respects their engineering acumen. I called the UK distributor (Synthax) and they were hugely helpful, inviting me down to their office to try it out.

Only two things have prevented the ADI-2 Pro experience being completely perfect for me.

I would like to use the balanced mode but the ADI-2 Pro does not have a 4 pin XLR output (which is the balanced cable type Audeze provide), and as far as I can tell there is no converter out there I can just buy. I appreciate the diagram of how to build one in the manual, but I haven't done any soldering for nearly twenty years!

The more significant issue for me is the brightness of the ADI-2 Pro. I regularly listen to music in a totally blacked out room, and find the ADI-2 Pro to be quite blinding in that environment. I saw in another thread someone asked if the red ring light around the volume knob could be off when the device is off and Matthias said that that is not possible. Is it possible to have the light off when the device is on? Similarly it would be helpful if it were possible to turn the LCD display off during operation.

It is not a significant issue for me if the red light is on when the ADI-2 Pro is off, it is the state of the lights when it is on that is of concern.

I appreciate that these lights are there to indicate something useful, so what I would suggest would be that a menu option would be added for 'black out mode' which would turn off the ring light and LCD display. Then if a control were pressed or turned they could come back on for some number of seconds and then go dark again.

I see there is also an orange LED inside, but I would guess that this cannot be turned off as I presume it is there for some debugging purpose, whereas I would presume that as the ring can change from red to white that it is programmably controllable.

The ADI-2 Pro is an absolutely amazing piece of kit, which for me would be perfect if the light issue could be resolved. I would guess among home audio enthusiasts I am not the only one who will have a similar requirement, whereas this issue would not occur in a professional environment.

Is there a potential solution to this with a firmware update?

2 Reply by MC

  • MC
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Re: Feature request: ADI-2 "Black-out mode"

Unfortunately no. The lights behind buttons and VOL and the LEDs of the Standby button are not controlled by the FPGA/DSP, so we can not turn them off. The display can be set to (inverted) Dark mode, and also lowered in brightness. For the rest you will have to find a workaround, sorry.

Regarding the Balanced mode: that is indeed an industry wide problem. We are not the only ones using two TRS outs. Still it seems impossible to buy such adapter cables somewhere. It seems there are simply not enough people using balanced mode that building/distributing/selling such cables makes sense. I soldered them myself, and they look very professional (I cut existing molded cables and only soldered one side). You should be able to find a technician at the nearest musical instruments dealer who will be able to solder such an adapter for you.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • RobHu
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Re: Feature request: ADI-2 "Black-out mode"

Thank you for your quick reply.

That is unfortunate. So it is actually impossible for you via any kind of software update to turn off the LEDs?

Could I suggest that this might be a feature to add for a future new version of the ADI-2 Pro? I would imagine some other home audio enthusiasts will feel similarly. It is a real shame as it mars an otherwise perfect device.

I am surprised given that there is a dark mode that the LED lights were not considered, given that they are so very bright.

Is it at least possible to have a blackout as described for the LCD screen? Dark mode is not black, and I don't want to put black tape over the whole screen :-/

4 Reply by MC

  • MC
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Re: Feature request: ADI-2 "Black-out mode"

Without a solution for the other LEDs a full LCD blackout does not make much sense...

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • RobHu
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Re: Feature request: ADI-2 "Black-out mode"

Am I right in understanding that balanced mode requires dual TRS and cannot use the dual 3 pin XLR out on the rear?

6 Reply by MC

  • MC
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Re: Feature request: ADI-2 "Black-out mode"

Correct.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

  • ckl
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Re: Feature request: ADI-2 "Black-out mode"

You can purchase a cable for your balanced headphones from the german distributor. It's made with finest Mogami cables and Neutrik connectors
http://shop.synthax.de/ItemDetail.aspx? … 0&pr=0

Fireface UCX
MADIface USB
Babyface Pro

8 Reply by fa

  • fa
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Re: Feature request: ADI-2 "Black-out mode"

I want "Black-out mode" on LCD after about 10 second idle too. Because it is so bright, even in dark mode + 20%brightness.

9 Reply by LD

  • LD
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Re: Feature request: ADI-2 "Black-out mode"

MC wrote:

Without a solution for the other LEDs a full LCD blackout does not make much sense...

Hi, I agree it would be more consistent to have a complete blackout option - but also I was looking for an auto-blackout for the LCD screen; and found this post. smile In a dark listening environment, it would just be more pleasing.

Although, I think after 10 seconds on idle - as suggested by 'fa' - would be too long a time [maybe 3 seconds; or give an option to choose individually?], such a function would generally be happily appreciated; with wake-up once touching any of the controls.

Regards

  • RobHu
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Re: Feature request: ADI-2 "Black-out mode"

LD - as MC explained above, it is not possible to add this feature via a firmware update to the ADI-2 Pro unfortunately due to a hardware limitation, so you are out of luck.

However RME's new (cheaper) product, the 'ADI-2 DAC' does have this feature.

  • RobHu
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Re: Feature request: ADI-2 "Black-out mode"

@MC - perhaps in the future there could be an ADI-2.1 Pro that has the blackout feature, and as (I think?) the first to suggest the feature here you could let me trade my ADI-2 Pro for it? ;-)

  • From: Germany, Dinslaken
  • Registered: 2017-12-16
  • Posts: 9

Re: Feature request: ADI-2 "Black-out mode"

@RobHu

Topic "balanced mode" cable adapter:

I bought in the bay.: Search key "rme adi 2 pro cable". There is a US seller  that offer two qualities. 25 or 35 bugs.
I buy the 35 bug cable and I'm happy with it: "New Dyson Audio RME ADI-2 Pro Silver Balanced Headphone Cable Adapter" is the
current complete name.
This cable has a 4 pin xlr. I use it with a beyerdynic xlr cable and a branded beyerdynamic headphone from McIntosh.

Greetings Frank