RME BABYFACE PRO FS vs FOCUSRITE SCARLETT 2i2 - A/B TESTING

Here's a quick recording I've done with my Neumann KMS 105 plugged in both these two interfaces:
- RME Babyface Pro FS
- Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (1st gen)

Watch until the end to see which is which !

Download the .WAV files to hear more closely the difference:

Thanks for listening!

[freedeeztallbikes]

I wish every shootout video was like this straight to the point

[roderickmims]

Guys make sure you listen to this in a good room, with a studio monitor. A is clearly bright and B sounds more natural and has body. I like B better!

[miorafeuni]

I agree but if we consider the price difference for a start Focusrite kept is value in this comparison

[chrisvantassel]

I own both and both sound good, the Babyface just offers way more features, software, routing etc. I would be happy with either depending my needs.

[digitalmarketinghumans]

Crazy. This whole time I kept saying, yeah B sounded better. I also use a RME babyface pro FS so I may be a little bias but I can tell a difference.

[OllertonMD]

Before looking at results I knew b was babyface because
1. Babyface has a really tight but powerful bass response
2. I’ve owned both and know babyface sounds much better
3. A sounds like home recording and B sounds like it could be on a record after mixing

I have had many preamps. UA610, daking, grace, DAV BG1. I sold all of them and just use the babyface for my preamp now. If you are looking for the highest quality clean, pristine preamps, no amount of money will get you something better. If you are looking for something with color or a vintage vibe, you will have to looks elsewhere. For hi-fi modern sound, it is as good as any clean preamp at any price.

[MT-dqtd]

On first impressions, A sounds clearer, but after listening for a while the treble sounds a bit harsh. B sounds more natural and thicker. whichever is A and B.

[tomotoole]

I kept going back to A seemed a bit cleaner. B sounded a bit muddy in comparison to my ears. I was surprised B was the RME. I have both interfaces and I listened on my laptop speakers and not my big studio monitors, which is probably more the way most people listen these days. (or AirPods) Thanks for posting

[pikeysrock]

B sounds more like a record, more detail and clarity. A was a bit flat.Great song by Lennon!

[MaximusWhyman]

B was smoother and less brittle with better mids and low end.

[owen]

Focusrite is not bad but rme waaaay better. much more open and much more resolution like a breath of fresh air. Also I see that focusrite's waveform looks way louder but they are pretty equal in loudness. I think because focusrite is a little more muddy, I've got a focusrite and I always tend to take a lot of mud out of vocals. Wish I had the money to buy RME

[SaturnVoyager]

It’s very noticeable if you have critical listening skills. B sounds Fuller, Clearer, More Open, Closer to the real thing in few words. However, I was owner of a Scarlett 18i20 2nd Gen for several years so I know exactly how it sounds and that makes it easier to me to hear the differences. The Focusrite is a great interface for any job but the Babyface is like in the next 3 or 4 levels of quality and performance. Actually if you Started with a MOTU M2, you can be sure you have a much better interface than a Scarlet 2i2, on every single aspect the MOTU offers more.

[KXNGiLLuSioN]

Amazing video! How can I hook up my Focusrite ISA One preamp to this interface?

[Bernd]

With $150 HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 2 in ears, I wasn't able to hear much difference. I thought B sounded minimally "darker". A sounded a bit more crystalline in your face, at the cost of some resolution but very very minimal.
With $1600 Hifiman Arya + $1200 RME ADI-2 DAC the above observations stay the same. Possibly B has more potential and hidden reserves. If you're not a pro then the Scarlett is more than enough and if you're a pro you should spend more than $150 on your main equipment.

[lesterdelosreyes]

im an rme fan but somehow the rme sounds a bit mid humped which doesn't sound transparent to me.

[TheAMN]

it is two different records... there is no chance to concentrate on same parts of arrangement actually... they sound different cause they was played with different levels of expression

[yourcalmingchannel]

Indeed there is much big variance in WAV files than in youtube recording, which sound almost the same, I suspect this is due to youtube compression. Based on youtube I would say that it makes no sense to buy RME, but after listening to the WAV Scarlett just sound like a cheap toy. It sounds good of course for what it does and what it costs ;-) Also, it's a pity that you dont have Focusrite 3rd gen here :(

[kingdan]

Im using normal tozo ear buds and cant tell a big difference. Maybe if I use my pro reference headphones I will be able to hear a difference

[dylanjastle]

Do you have a way of measuring round trip latency with the two interfaces? I’m on a focusrite and record mainly DI and midi, so round trip latency and driver stability is everything for me. I’m wondering how much better it can get just by upgrading interfaces. Thanks

[Krishnafred]

Lol, I'm listening through a rme babyface on psi audio speakers with sound ID reference and prefer A. 🙂 B is equally good but I would eq it to sound more like A. The low mids are too muddy imho and I like the more pronounced sibilance in the voice of A.