Audio interfaces · owner-verdict comparison

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 vs RME Babyface Pro: what real owners say

Real owners lean toward the RME Babyface Pro: 78% of 36 owners recommend it, vs 60% of 53 for the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2.

Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score

Focusrite Scarlett 2i2

60%of 53 owners recommend
60% recommend · 31% neutral · 9% don't
Owners praise
  • Runs for a decade without failing
  • Solid metal build, tank-like
  • Great sound quality for the price
Owners complain about
  • Clips easily on hot or active signals
  • No input pad to tame levels
  • Driver and dropout issues on some PCs
Full owner report →

RME Babyface Pro

78%of 36 owners recommend
78% recommend · 19% neutral · 3% don't
Owners praise
  • Exceptional, clean audio and converters
  • Rock-solid drivers and low latency
  • Great preamps with plenty of gain
Owners complain about
  • Expensive for its feature set
  • TotalMix has a steep learning curve
  • Fiddly hardware controls and encoder feel
Full owner report →

What Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 owners say

“The Air + Drive is the best sound I've ever heard from a budget Audio Interface, there's no going back, it's a game changer in quality.”
— @RLM-TV on YouTube
“The air mode really had a nice effect on the SM7B.”
— @jakejessee on YouTube
“that's the only reason I considered this interface but not anymore lol.”
— @lande.r1 on YouTube

What RME Babyface Pro owners say

“my Babyface really does deliver 125 dB(A) dynamic range with the XLR output”
— @JulianKrause on YouTube
“there is a high probability that 20 years from now the drivers for that interface are still up to date, just like RME still does with their first product.”
— @pdmcrew80 on YouTube
“Excellent interface but hated the breakout cable BS. Sold it and went with Antelope Audio's Synergy Discrete 4 and now we be totally satisfied.”
— @stingylizard on YouTube