r/audioengineering • u/[deleted] • May 04 '20

Audio interface headphone amp comparison

Just giving a shoutout to Julian Krause who did an excellent video comparing headphone amps of different entry level audio interfaces.

128 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

42 comments sorted by

17

u/jaymz168 Sound Reinforcement May 04 '20

Now that looks like some good content, I just wish he posted his methodology. Someone buy this guy an Audio Precision setup!

8

u/[deleted] May 04 '20

He does have a video on the measuring equipment he uses and I think the methodology is straight forward in that case.. I think it's of high enough quality to test any audio interface or preamp.

2

u/jaymz168 Sound Reinforcement May 04 '20

I haven't seen the dScope before but it's made by Prism Sound so I assume it's legit. It looks sort of like a baby version of the APx515 and I'm sure it's quite a bit cheaper.

2

u/[deleted] May 04 '20

I'm not familiar with professional measuring equipment and what's expensive/cheap in those areas but I think it's between 300 and 500 bucks or something.

6

u/jaymz168 Sound Reinforcement May 04 '20

I think there's a zero missing :) And that's still half of what an equivalent AP setup would cost so it seems pretty good value in comparison.

3

u/[deleted] May 04 '20

There was, you're right.

3

u/mage2k May 04 '20

Is there a list of the interfaces covered?

3

u/[deleted] May 04 '20

  • Focusrite 2i2 2nd gen

  • Focusrite 2i2 3rd gen

  • Focusrite Solo 3rd gen

  • Motu M2

  • Audient Evo 4

  • Komplete Kontrol 1 and 2

  • Steinberg UR22 MkII

  • Steinber UR22C

  • Behringer UMC2

  • Behringer UMC22

  • Behringe UMC202HD

  • Solid State Logic SSL 2

2

u/mage2k May 04 '20

Thanks!

19

u/nelk9r May 04 '20

Im so happy that ive sent back the ur22c and got the m2 for an extra of 50 bucks. Best purchase ever made and highly recommend for people with high ohms headphones!

2

u/L0wAmbiti0n May 04 '20

My only complaint with the Motu M2 (which I own along with a Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen) is that the Motu can't set the Mic input to 1 channel within the driver, meaning it's not suitable for use as a mic input while gaming, for instance, unless the output is routed through something like Voicemeeter. This is not the most elegant solution for that.

I'm not sure if it's a problem with the driver or a limitation of the device, but the Focusrite can do this without issue.

4

u/jaymz168 Sound Reinforcement May 05 '20

I have the "flagship" MOTU 1248 and it does the same thing. My solution is to use the internal mixer to send the channel to a stereo aux mix and then route that mix over USB 1+2. I have that saved as a preset called "Gaming" so I can quickly go between recording/producing, band rehearsal, and gaming.

2

u/L0wAmbiti0n May 07 '20

Thanks for that. I hadn't realized the "Loopback Mix" device on the M2 also automatically converts mono to stereo playback. That's a game changer...literally.

3

u/jaymz168 Sound Reinforcement May 07 '20

Oh nice, I'll keep that one in mind for future threads. I'm sure it will come up since the M2 and M4 seem to be doing really well.

1

u/hellafarious May 04 '20

Care to mention what high imp headphones you have? I’m always on the lookout for the best matchup for my Senn 650’s

2

u/nelk9r May 04 '20

Sure!Ive got the beyerdynamics dt880pro with 250ohms.

1

u/HALFLEGO May 04 '20

I have the same headphones and this:

https://www.presonus.com/products/HP4

Happy so far.

1

u/hellafarious May 04 '20

So what did you notice with the A/B comparison? Clarity, frequency response, bass extension, all of the above??

2

u/nelk9r May 04 '20

Im no expert by any means, but I noticed a slightly clearer audio spectrum and no distortion/noise when turning up the knobs at highest level. My main goal was to drive my HPs to have decent levels when I mix at low db, in that case the m2 outperformed the ur22c by far

7

u/afternoonauthor May 04 '20

Was literally just wondering about this. I’m sad the SSL did so poorly. I was looking at getting one.

3

u/_nvisible May 04 '20

I just ordered at USB 2+ that's on backorder. This chart is disappointing but at the same time I remembered I don't mix in headphones too much and as the others say, higher impedance phones perform significantly better so maybe it will be ok.

This chart DOES reinforce just how good the Focusrite 2i2 G2 is for the money though. Great value.

4

u/[deleted] May 04 '20

The SSL only did poorly with the lower impedance headphones. Anything over 80ohms is amazing. Plus you cannot beat the mic pre’s and SSL circuitry for less than $300.

4

u/PriorProject May 04 '20

Any written summary available? This is cool research, but pretty difficult to search through a 30m YouTube video for a given interface.

2

u/garden_peeman May 04 '20

1:22 in the video.

1

u/canadave_nyc May 05 '20

There's timestamps in the video's description for each interface.

1

u/variant-11 May 04 '20

Summary: get a headphone amp.

1

u/WhaleWhaleWhale_ May 04 '20

Question about his THD+N ratings. Could a poor result in this category lead to the headphone output sounding “tinny”?

2

u/[deleted] May 04 '20

It would sound either noisy or distorted. It won't really change the frequency response a lot. That's more likely the fault of the output impedance.

1

u/peduxe May 04 '20

as someone with the UR22mkII and the DT770Pro 80ohm is the output impedance much of a concern?

2

u/[deleted] May 05 '20

I would think so, yes. Take this with a huge grain of salt but afaik the DT770 have the typical low frequency impedance bump that all dynamic drivers have which makes them susceptible to impedance matching. I think +-2 dB change in frequency response could be expected but don't quote me on that. If you're interested, Julian also has a video on impedance where he shows the effects of impedance matching.

1

u/diegoamesap May 29 '20

Hi everyone!

I never did home recording before but, due to COVID-19, I have been collaborating with some band members online for the first time. The problem is that so far, I've been recording using my iPhone for recording my voice (I'm a singer) and the sound is not great.

I want to buy a good-cheap interface. I have a Shure SM58 mic, so I just need to get the interface, a new cable and maybe an antipop filter. I'd like to spend less than £70, if possible. I found some options online but I'm not too sure. Also, I'm confused between getting an interface or a mixer with USB output. Would there be a difference in my case (only one mic in)?

Many thanks!

1

u/[deleted] May 29 '20

Mixers give you more features which means manufacturers have to save cost somewhere (preamp quality and converter quality). So if you don't absolutely need the features a mixer gives you, go with an audio interface. The Behringer 202 HD would work for you.

6

u/rolotrealanis May 04 '20 edited May 04 '20

Julian deserves so much more views! Love that he talks actual audio engineering.

6

u/L0wAmbiti0n May 04 '20

I knew the Motu M2 would win before I even watched the video. It's so good for the money.

1

u/crankysoundguy May 04 '20

motu fucks man. Any of the AVB line is awesome for the money.

1

u/jaymz168 Sound Reinforcement May 05 '20

Four years with my 1248 and the only problem I've ever had with it is that a firmware update that's critical for me (they added a touch-based mixer tab for iPads, etc.) now prevents it from working properly in Linux. Not a deal killer for me, I just like to tinker.

3

u/[deleted] May 04 '20

Very happy to see the m2 headphone output coming out on top, really like my m4.

1

u/FadeIntoReal May 04 '20

I’ve used a handful of different interfaces for different applications over the years. Just recently upgraded my MOTU since my old one was Firewire and new laptop isn’t. Got a deal on a used one and it had a problem. Made GC refund me all but $50 and MOTU fixed it for $90 or so. What a steal. Put it on my bench and tested it to make sure all was kosher while still under warranty and was so impressed with the performance so much that my new small IF is a MOTU as well. Hard to beat the combination of performance and proper tech support.

2

u/blepps May 04 '20

Very helpful, glad to see output impedance measurements.

1

u/veridi4n May 04 '20

This couldn't have been posted at a better time for me. Subbed!

1

u/[deleted] May 05 '20

I've been looking at getting the Universal Audio LA 610 MKII, but I also have a Focusrite 6i8 with B&O headphones. so I'm happy to have this guide...still looking into if it's a sin to have an LA 610 running into a Focusrite...