Audio interfaces · owner-verdict comparison

Focusrite Scarlett Solo 4th Gen vs M2: what real owners say

Real owners lean toward the M2: 72% of 43 owners recommend it, vs 33% of 46 for the Focusrite Scarlett Solo 4th Gen.

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

Focusrite Scarlett Solo 4th Gen

33%of 46 owners recommend

33% recommend · 4% neutral · 63% don't

Owners praise

Clean, great-sounding audio that drives mics and headphones well
Simple plug-and-play setup
Generous bundled software licenses

Owners complain about

Intermittent robotic/crackling glitch over USB

Full owner report →

M2

72%of 43 owners recommend

72% recommend · 7% neutral · 21% don't

Owners praise

Clean, quiet sound on inputs and outputs
Large, easy-to-read level meters
Stable and well built, with owners reporting years of trouble-free use

Owners complain about

Pops, crackles, and audio dropouts on some computers, often needing older drivers or a larger buffer to fix
Inputs run hot, so several owners keep the gain at or near zero to avoid clipping
Headphone output can distort at higher volume for some owners

Full owner report →

Which should you buy?

Get the Focusrite Scarlett Solo 4th Gen if

✓Solo podcasters and streamers with one mic
✓Beginners wanting a simple plug-and-play setup
✓Owners driving high-impedance headphones cleanly
✓Buyers who value the bundled software licenses

Skip it if

Users hit by intermittent robotic buzzing glitches
People powering low-output mics needing extra gain

Get the M2 if

✓Home recording and podcasting with a dynamic mic like the SM7B
✓A desk setup that feeds headphones and powered monitors from one box
✓Streamers and gamers using an XLR mic
✓Guitarists with hot pickups who want headroom at low gain

Skip it if

Buyers who do not want to troubleshoot drivers or buffer settings
People who mainly want a headphone amp for loud playback

What Focusrite Scarlett Solo 4th Gen owners say

“The headphone out is pushing an 80-ohm pair of Beyerdynamic DT770 PRO cans EXTREMELY well”
— @TheDude1764 on YouTube

“works great really powerful”
— @itzdmofllyah747 on YouTube

“It really sucks that focusrite put the mic channel on 2.”
— @VM-oi3dk on YouTube

What M2 owners say

“I've been using this interface since 2020. Having pre amps with graph visualizers was the most important thing for me and my microphones, so I definitely recommend it.”
— Sean081799 on Reddit

“I also went through different source gear, a Burson PM2, an iDSD Diablo and a MOTU M2. I honestly can't tell the difference at all between the three when listening at my prefered volume level.”
— cicorico on Reddit

“I recently got the M2 (it's supposed to be the 2021 or 2019 revision) and have a lot of problems with it with constant cracking and popping and losing audio, lagging etc.”
— shimmy_ow on Reddit

Focusrite Scarlett Solo 4th Gen vs M2: frequently asked questions

Is the Focusrite Scarlett Solo 4th Gen or the M2 better?

Real owners lean toward the M2: 72% of 43 owners recommend it, vs 33% of 46 for the Focusrite Scarlett Solo 4th Gen.

Who should get the Focusrite Scarlett Solo 4th Gen?

Owners point the Focusrite Scarlett Solo 4th Gen at solo podcasters and streamers with one mic, and beginners wanting a simple plug-and-play setup.

Who should get the M2?

Owners point the M2 at home recording and podcasting with a dynamic mic like the SM7B, and a desk setup that feeds headphones and powered monitors from one box.

What do owners complain about?

The most-cited downside of the Focusrite Scarlett Solo 4th Gen is intermittent robotic/crackling glitch over USB. For the M2, it's pops, crackles, and audio dropouts on some computers, often needing older drivers or a larger buffer to fix.