Audio interfaces · owner-verdict comparison

Focusrite Scarlett Solo 4th Gen vs RME Babyface Pro: what real owners say

Real owners lean toward the RME Babyface Pro: 78% of 36 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 →

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 →

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 RME Babyface Pro if
  • ✓Producers wanting pristine audio and rock-solid drivers
  • ✓Mobile and portable bus-powered recording rigs
  • ✓Users needing ultra-low-latency monitoring for tracking
  • ✓Owners who want expandable I/O via ADAT
Skip it if
  • Budget buyers unwilling to pay the premium
  • Those wanting plug-and-play simplicity over TotalMix

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 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

Focusrite Scarlett Solo 4th Gen vs RME Babyface Pro: frequently asked questions

Is the Focusrite Scarlett Solo 4th Gen or the RME Babyface Pro better?

Real owners lean toward the RME Babyface Pro: 78% of 36 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 RME Babyface Pro?

Owners point the RME Babyface Pro at producers wanting pristine audio and rock-solid drivers, and mobile and portable bus-powered recording rigs.

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 RME Babyface Pro, it's expensive for its feature set.