Short answer
Both are audio interfaces, $2790 against $2499.
The RME ADI-2 Pro EX reaches 100 dB on 567 of the 567 models here, the Merging Anubis on 566.
| Specification | Merging Anubis | RME ADI-2 Pro EX |
|---|---|---|
| Power into 32Ω | 961 mW | 1.9 W |
| Power into 150Ω | 205 mW | 540 mW |
| Power into 300Ω | 103 mW | 370 mW |
| Power into 600Ω | 51 mW | 185 mW |
| Output impedance | 0.035 Ω | 0.1 Ω |
| Output noise | not published | 2.18 µV |
| Price | $2790 | $2499 |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | 566 | 567 |
Not published means the maker leaves it out, so that axis cannot be compared.
| Balanced | Merging Anubis | RME ADI-2 Pro EX |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | no separate rating | 2 x 6.3 mm TRS (RME 'Advanced Balanced' mode uses both unbalanced jacks as one balanced pair) |
| Power into 32Ω | — | 4.2 W |
| Power into 300Ω | — | 1.4 W |
| Output impedance | — | 0.2 Ω |
| Output noise | — | not published |
| Headphones it reaches 100 dB on out of 567 | — | 567 |
Only the RME ADI-2 Pro EX has a separate balanced rating from its maker; through it, it reaches 100 dB on 567 of the 567 models here. The Merging Anubis may still have a balanced socket — its spec sheet simply gives no figure for one, so there is nothing to put beside it.
| Load | Merging Anubis | RME ADI-2 Pro EX |
|---|---|---|
| 32 Ω | Upper bound | Published |
| 150 Ω | Upper bound | Derived |
| 300 Ω | Upper bound | Published |
| 600 Ω | Upper bound | Derived |
These two columns are not the same kind of number, and that matters more than the gap between them. RME ADI-2 Pro EX publishes a power rating (at 32 Ω and at 300 Ω); Merging Anubis publishes no power figure at any load, only a maximum output voltage, so every milliwatt in its column is a ceiling worked out from that voltage.
A ceiling assumes the amplifier holds that voltage into the load, and nothing on Merging Anubis’s own sheet says it does. It is the most flattering reading available, and it is used here only because the alternative is a blank. Where the Merging Anubis column looks the stronger of the two, treat the difference as unproven rather than measured. 24 of the 280 sources here are in that position, with no published power rating at any load.
1 headphone reaches 100 dB on the RME ADI-2 Pro EX but not on the Merging Anubis — Symphonium Titan.
566 of the 567 models here reach 100 dB on both.
Headroom is at a 100 dB SPL peak.
The widest gap on the list is the Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020: RME ADI-2 Pro EX has +25 dB of headroom there against +18 dB. 6 dB is about 4.4 times the power, which matters for peaks rather than for how loud the music sits.
The hiss columns are empty for Merging Anubis because that maker publishes no output noise figure.
| Headphone | Impedance | Needs | Merging Anubis headroom | RME ADI-2 Pro EX headroom | Merging Anubis hiss | RME ADI-2 Pro EX hiss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shure SE846 | 9 Ω | 0.04 mW | +38 dB | +45 dB | not published | 21 dB |
| Campfire Audio Andromeda 2020 | 9 Ω | 4.0 mW | +18 dB | +25 dB | not published | 1 dB |
| Audeze LCD-2 Classic | 70 Ω | 0.79 mW | +27 dB | +31 dB | not published | -1 dB |
| Beyerdynamic DT 1990 Pro (250Ω) | 250 Ω | 0.63 mW | +23 dB | +28 dB | not published | -5 dB |
| HiFiMAN HE400se | 25 Ω | 7.9 mW | +20 dB | +24 dB | not published | -6 dB |
| Audio-Technica ATH-R70X | 470 Ω | 1.6 mW | +16 dB | +22 dB | not published | -12 dB |
| Sennheiser HD 600 | 300 Ω | 6.6 mW | +12 dB | +17 dB | not published | -16 dB |
| HiFiMAN Susvara | 60 Ω | 50 mW | +10 dB | +13 dB | not published | -18 dB |
The Merging Anubis costs $291 more than the RME ADI-2 Pro EX, and on these three axes the money buys nothing: among the 567 models here there is not one that the Merging Anubis handles and the RME ADI-2 Pro EX does not — not on power, not on the one-eighth rule, not on hiss. The traffic runs the other way: the cheaper RME ADI-2 Pro EX drives one model to 100 dB that the Merging Anubis does not.
Only published figures count here; blank axes are counted separately.
Each in full: Merging Anubis and RME ADI-2 Pro EX.