http://spl.info/en/products/interfaces/crimson/overview.html

If you look at their other products you will see they have a lot of experience with pre amps, headphone amps, monitor controllers, etc..

I'm not sure I get the point above about just using a headphone amp, since the main purpose of an interface is to get your vocals, guitars, synths and other sounds into your project?

 

I have a saffire pro 40 firewire I love mine. Great unit. Drivers support is much better than my old I88x.

 

Get Objective2 amplifier for your RME - solved. It's anywhere between $40 and $130, depending on who manufacture it. This amp is also DIY - you can get the kit and solder it yourself (cheapest option).

 

I'd reccomend the Crimson or even it's smaller version the Creon for it's amazing best DRIVER ever written and nos software ...you change all on the hardware unit period...

The Mikes Pres are pristine...and all routing possibilities are just next level...

But if you are planning on adding extra mike-pre's thru lightpipe adate cables...it's an absolute no go...not expandable at all

So in this case

The best deal is audient ID22 but with the ASP880 this is da bomb

Try it and go nuts for real

peaceR

 

Though I thank you, I don't want to have to buy an "adjunct". I am looking for the all-in-on!

 

I am pretty much divided between:
-Rme babyface pro/ fireface
-Crimson SPL

Anyone with experience working with them?

 

Why not? Rather than relying on OEM headphone amp to do the job, O2 amplifies with truly no additional coloration. Such modular setup is also useful when you acquire even more demanding headphones. Also onboard headamps especially on USB soundcards usually gets the output impedance wrong and tend to be noisier due to step up converters necessary to get dual power supply for the opamp.

 

Last edited: Mar 1, 2016

I hate when people are convincing I'll have to look into that. It appears that I am not well informed! I've seen that model unit. It must be used through RCA cables then. won't it loose quality?

 

Cables rarely make any difference, especially for connecting line inputs. As long as it's short and not the crappiest quality, there should be no audible loss at all.
Yes, O2 is available even with RCA. JDSLabs manufactures them. Alternatively 3.5mm jack can be used (standard version has 3.5mm only)

 

I would go with the RME Fireface UC

 

Motu Ultra Lite AVB

 

This one is quite interesting, gotta look better into it.