Sorry to start a new thread on interfaces...
 
I may have to replace my unsupported $300 interface so I have been researching new interfaces. 
 
There are plenty of interfaces in that price range that will give me the I/O I need.
 
I can spend $300ish (Focusrite, Presonus, Tascam, etc...) or $650ish (Roland, Motu, etc...) or $1600 (RME, etc...).
 
My understanding that out of the above list, RME has the best audio quality (converters and pres). I would really hate to spend that kind of money for an interface as I am just a hobbyist but I am curious, do people notice the difference?
 
I know that the RME offers other things (stable drivers, low latency, an FPGA for mixing and a dedicated DSP for internal fx, etc...) but is the sound quality noticeable? Is it that much better that a person "in the know" says they can't use anything else?
 
 
I would just totally discount it on price alone but given that they ported their software to work with an interface they made back in 2001 is impressive to me. Especially since my 4 year old interface is no longer being supported. 
 
I read in another thread (somewhere on these forums) that the new Motu (Ultralight AVB) has low latency and seems to have stable Windows drivers but according to one of my sources, the RME is a step above in sound quality. But it is more than twice the price!
 
I have no complaints as far as sound quality goes on my current interface but I have nothing to compare it to. I think I need to work on my tracking and mixing skills before the sound quality of the interface is the limiting piece in my setup. However, I am researching and just like to be informed before spending the money.
 
Thanks

maximumpower
 
[...] as I am just a hobbyist [...]
 
[...] I have no complaints as far as sound quality goes on my current interface [...]

In some respects the law of diminishing returns applies, so those two pieces of the OP stuck out. It is akin to buying an expensive instrument if unable to play it properly... there is no reason not to learn on something adequate and move up later on (if desired). Just throwing "practicality" into the mix on you.
 
(I definitely cannot speak to RME, but I also had an M-Audio interface that fell into the "unsupported" category.)

RME is good, but....
 
MOTU's highest level of new products are a tad better in audio quality than RME's popular audio interfaces and are more affordable. And, it can be argued are as good as or better at low latency performance. Look into the specs of these MOTU units at MOTU's site, each have high-end components to suit particular user interests.
 
The MOTU 1248, 16A, and 8m output pristine audio quality at 123db dynamic range. For instance, the 1248 outputs' dynamic range is 123db (inputs 117db dynamic range), noise floor competitive with that of the RME Fireface UFX, quality and quantity of components comparable to the UFX and sell at $1495. 
 
The RME Fireface UFX sells for $2299 and has input/output dynamic range in the area of 119 db-120 db.
 
Compare RME Fireface UCX with MOTU's UltraLite AVB and see which is the better deal for you and what each offers. I suspect you will see that MOTU is putting RME to shame. :)
 
The bottom line is MOTU has a very competitive lineup of new products! Just check and compare for yourself. 
 
Also, if you like, read the user reviews of users that have bought a MOTU unit, and see the very open thread over at Gearslutz about the new MOTU units. It's a very impressive read: https://www.gearslutz.com...derbolt-interface.html

I currently have a MOTU Ultralite MK3, I've had it for a few years and support was great when it stopped working, they replaced it out of warranty for a decent price.
 
I agree with Thomas about the new line of MOTU products.  I've not used an RME product, but for the money, I'd very likely stick with upgrading my MOTU to one of the new Ultralite AVB if I were in the market to upgrade to anything.
 
Jim Roseberry sings the praises of the AVB and he's tested it pretty extensively from my understanding.  it gets great low round trip latency and has a really good noise floor (-110dB, IIRC) and the mic pres are quite nice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jheNocnQXM
 
I love my RME. When shopping make sure you get price quotes. They are lower than list prices.

I have owned an older MOTU 828mkII, which had mediocre sound quality and sub-par preamps.  I traded it for a Steinberg MR816, which had better preamps and sound quality but awful drivers. I now use a UFX, which is just better in every way, sound wise, driver wise, durability wise,  etc.  The new MOTU interfaces use a Sabre DAC which has the best specs you will find in a chip converter,  however the build quality is cheap and plastic, made in China, as opposed to Germany for the RME.   
 
You get what you pay for.  If you care about build quality and reliability as well as sound quality, RME has them both, MOTU does not IMO, just about 4dB lower noise floor due to the chip.  
 
Neither can quite match Prism, Lavry, Mytek, Merging, etc in terms of sound quality, regardless of printed specs, but both make products suitable for professionals, and I have seen some great engineers use both.

Right, the RME Fireface UCX still looks like it has better audio quality specs and looks to be more sturdy. 
 
So better is better. Is it 2.5x the price better? I would think for a pro who doesn't need the networkability of the Ultralite AVB, the answer is yes. I am just trying to figure out if it is 2.5x better for me. :-)
 
I am trying to gauge the value tradeoffs.
 
Thanks everyone for the responses.

I paid around 1100 for my RME UCX. Takes some shopping though. Check prices in Europe and go for a price match at your local dealer maybe?

As an aside, I would definitely try to buy a class compliant interface because of the awesomeness of Linux Ubuntu studio.

I have definitely taken my UCX out in my backpack with my Linux hard drive and a couple of Mics and made recordings at friends houses. So amazingly convenient.

So better is better. Is it 2.5x the price better? I would think for a pro who doesn't need the networkability of the Ultralite AVB, the answer is yes. I am just trying to figure out if it is 2.5x better for me. :-)

 
Well for me,  I am looking into an interface that costs 4 times as much as the RME UFX for location work but even though I am willing to pay the price, I am worried about missing all the great feature and reliability the UFX has to offer.  The Total Mix software is fantastic, as is Digicheck if you need to directly record an input or output without a DAW.  In this case the cheaper option is far superior driver and software wise.  
 
There is kind of a strange pivot concerning hardware and software quality and RME seems to have the perfect balance.  Cheaper options will not sound quite as good and suffer in build quality, and more expensive options have software reliability issues as they are made by smaller "boutique" companies. 
 
Does RME sound 2.5 times as good as the other cheap interfaces on the list? Most likely not.  As the saying goes, you pay a lot for a little bit more.  It just depends on how much you want.  

Jim will probably back me up on this. Something you have all missed. Latency. RME is way ahead in that department. Amazing round trip latency figues. Better (by a long shot) than anything I have had previously. For some that is a very important factor.  They sound sweet too.  And TotalMix is excellent.