Audio interfaces · owner-verdict comparison

M2 vs RME Babyface Pro: what real owners say

Real owners lean toward the RME Babyface Pro: 78% of 36 owners recommend it, vs 72% of 43 for the M2.

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

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 →

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 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
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 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

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

M2 vs RME Babyface Pro: frequently asked questions

Is the M2 or the RME Babyface Pro better?

Real owners lean toward the RME Babyface Pro: 78% of 36 owners recommend it, vs 72% of 43 for the M2.

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.

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 M2 is pops, crackles, and audio dropouts on some computers, often needing older drivers or a larger buffer to fix. For the RME Babyface Pro, it's expensive for its feature set.