What features should I look for in a high-end USB audio interface?
| Product ⇅ | Price ⇅ | Sample Rate (kHz) ⇅ | Bit Depth (bits) ⇅ | Inputs ⇅ | Outputs ⇅ | Latency (ms) ⇅ | Phantom Power ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 4th Gen
US
|
£487.20 ≈ | 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz, 176.4 kHz, 192 kHz | 24-bit | — | — | — | ✓ |
|
High-I/O USB-C audio interface with eight 4th-gen Scarlett mic preamps, 24-bit/192 kHz converters, dual ADAT for expandability, Auto Gain and Clip Safe workflow features, and dual headphone outputs; suited for project and mid-size professional studios needing extensive I/O. Includes Focusrite Control 2 for routing and mobile control. ★ Ideal forIdeal for a high-end USB audio interface because it offers 24-bit/192 kHz conversion, eight high-gain (69dB) mic preamps, and extensive analogue and digital I/O for flexible routing and expansion.
Sources:
|
|||||||
|
Universal Audio Volt 876
US
|
£748.80 ≈ | 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192 kHz | 32 bit | — | — | — | ✓ |
|
The Volt 876 is a rack-mount 24-in/28-out USB-C audio interface with eight digitally controlled mic/line preamps, onboard vintage preamp and 1176-style compressor emulations, 32-bit/192 kHz conversion, ADAT expansion, word clock and MIDI I/O. It targets professional and serious home studios needing high channel counts, hardware tone shaping, and comprehensive I/O in a single 1U unit. ★ Ideal forGood high-end USB interfaces should offer high sample rates and bit depth, low-latency I/O, per-channel phantom power and expandable ADAT channels; the Volt 876 provides 192 kHz sample rate, 32-bit conversion, selectable +48V per channel, eight analog preamps and ADAT expansion.
Sources:
|
|||||||