How do popular brands compare in terms of their Firewire audio interfaces?
This page compares 4 How do popular brands compare in terms of their Firewire audio interfaces with verified specifications and prices. Top options include MOTU Audio Express 6x6 FireWire, Apogee Ensemble FireWire, RME Fireface 802 FS. Prices range from £373 to £1,718. All data is sourced from manufacturer documentation and specialist retailers.
| Product ⇅ | Price ⇅ | I/O Count ⇅ | Sample Rate (Hz) ⇅ | Bit Depth (bits) ⇅ | Latency (ms) ⇅ | Number of Preamps ⇅ | Phantom Power ⇅ |
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MOTU Audio Express 6x6 FireWire
US
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£372.80 ≈ | 6 in / 6 out | Up to 96 kHz | 24-bit | — | 2 mic/guitar preamps | ✓ |
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Compact 6-in/6-out hybrid FireWire/USB2 audio interface with two combo mic/guitar preamps, two additional stereo line inputs, four analog outputs, S/PDIF I/O and built-in CueMix FX mixer for low-latency monitoring. Supports sample rates up to 96 kHz and offers stand-alone mixing and individual 48V phantom power for each mic input, suited for solo musicians and small project studios. ★ Ideal forGood for comparing FireWire interfaces because it offers hybrid FireWire/USB2 connectivity, 6x6 I/O and two mic preamps with individual phantom power (shows tradeoff between channel count and portability). |
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Apogee Ensemble FireWire
US
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— | 18 (8 in / 8 out analog + ADAT + S/PDIF) | 192000 | 24 | 0.6 ms (hardware monitoring) | 4 | ✓ |
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The Apogee Ensemble FireWire is a 1U rackmount high-quality FireWire audio interface offering 8 analog inputs, 8 analog outputs, ADAT and S/PDIF expansion, four mic preamps with 75 dB gain, and converters up to 24-bit/192 kHz. It includes hardware monitoring with very low roundtrip latency and is aimed at Mac-based project and studio users seeking premium converters and stable FireWire integration. ★ Ideal forUseful for comparing FireWire interfaces because it offers high-spec converters (24-bit/192 kHz), multiple I/O (18 total), and low hardware-monitoring latency (0.6 ms), representing a high-end FireWire option.
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RME Fireface 802 FS
US
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£1717.56 ≈ | 60 channels (30-in/30-out) | 192 kHz | 24-bit | — | 4 | ✓ |
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The Fireface 802 FS is a 1RU, 60-channel professional USB 2.0 audio interface with reference-class converters, four high-transparency mic/instrument preamps, ADAT/S/PDIF/AES I/O and onboard DSP with TotalMix FX. It targets studios and live rigs needing large I/O counts, ultra-low-latency operation and robust driver stability. ★ Ideal forSuitable for comparing Firewire audio interfaces because it offers 60 channels, four high-quality preamps and 192 kHz/24-bit operation, showing RME's focus on high channel count and converter quality.
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Universal Audio Apollo FireWire (series) UAD
US
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— | 18 x 24 | 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192 | 24 | 1.1 ms @ 96kHz | 4 | ✓ |
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The Apollo FireWire is an 18-in / 24-out professional audio interface with onboard UAD real-time DSP, Unison mic-preamp integration, high-quality A/D-D/A conversion, ADAT and S/PDIF I/O, and two FireWire 800 ports. It offers low round-trip latency and front-panel control with multiple monitor and headphone outputs, suited for tracking and mixing in professional and project studios. ★ Ideal forIdeal for comparing FireWire interfaces because it offers 18x24 I/O, four Unison-enabled mic preamps, 24-bit/192kHz conversion, and low 1.1 ms round-trip latency, representing high-end FireWire specs.
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