Thanks, I wasn't even aware of this one.

I will of course compare between UAD and MOTU but for some reasons, I have a slight preference for MOTU. Don't ask me why.

 

Everyone has their own preference. I suggested it because I was considering a MOTU to replace an old Firewire unit on a secondary system. My local Pro shop has a very good return policy so, I too a chance on the Volt 2 to see if the UAD units were any good. No issues & very good headphone output using Audio-Technica M50x.

 

This is actually the same headphones I use.

 

@mrpsanter, perhaps you'd like to compare the values of both sometime!!!

A high-quality alternative is: Audient iD14 MKII - 217 €
https://audient.com/products/audio-interfaces/id14/overview/

 

Last edited: Feb 1, 2026 at 4:35 PM

Thank you:
It might actually be a good alternative to the MOTU M2 and I will have to check it out.
The price is indeed close to the M2 in Europe but strangely cost a 100 more in the US for some reasons.

 

Yes you are correct, but I think win 11 did away with thunderbolt 1 so you have to buy an adapter to get 2 and 3 that is a shame.
More $ down the drain.
If I remember correctly it had to do with security. Yes I forgot about the XLR connections hopefully they will release a new 828ESwith thunderbolt 3 and USB 3. That would be a great device.
When i was looking at a new device I was looking at the 828ES but decided that USB 2 was not good enough for Audio throughput.
Now even MOTU said that USB 2 and thunderbolt 2 were very close I do not believe it. USB has to much un useful data in the stream that will clog it up. CRC being one of them. That is why the old fire-wire was better. Yes I know a lot depends on the driver but I don't think you can strip the CRC stuff away with out introducing errors.

I know my latency is really low with a lot of vst instruments loaded in reaper. TO say USB 2 will do the same I don't think so.
I also purchased a Thunderbolt to fire wire adapter to hook up my old Focus right Pro 40 to the thunderbolt port. It work really good.
I go it just in case the 2626 died they could be daisy chained together via the Adat. They are chained together now the 2626 is the master and the pro 40 the slave.

 

The 828ES is already a perfectly great interface. If someone wants Thunderbolt 3, the Mac adapter is about $50 now (used to be $30). After the one I was using failed, I just connected via a "slower" protocol from the Thunderbolt 3 out of my Macbook Pro, it made absolutely no difference to me. Waste of money.

I’m not checking specs against a website. When I send a round-trip ping from Logic’s I/O plugin to my external gear, Logic compensates any delay correctly. Even using the External Instrument plugin with even my analog synths and latency compensation checked, it’s the same. The numbers in the thread which are actually on-topic are someone asking about a $200 Motu, not $1000 Motu. If you want to make decisions based on numbers on a screen, that's a separate topic.

This is starting to sound like a drummer who can’t play to a click track. 10 milliseconds of latency is basically nothing. I’m not planning on performing Rachmaninoff anytime soon. If it really mattered while recording, I’d just set up a monitor mix so I wouldn’t be hearing the latency anyway.

For frame of reference, I am getting 44 milliseconds of additional latency added just by using Audiogridder hosted R2R ilok plugins on a PC laptop connected over ethernet cable, and that is only Audiogridder, without any latency that is introduced by the individual plugins. That is 10 times the differences between Thunderbolt 1 and 3 connectivity. Logic doesn't even bat an eye at it.

 

Last edited: Feb 2, 2026 at 1:42 AM

I've have it for 6 years now. I mostly bought it cause it had one of the best headphone output in it's price range when it was launched. I also bought my son the UAD volt 2 (so I can compare hehe) and I'm too biased now towards the m2. It distort a little if you push the knob to the max, but just don't do it. Set it somewhere in the middle were you are comfortable with and dont ever touch it again.

I'm on windows so I can recomend it 100%, best interface I had so far for doing 100% in the box stuff.

 

its funny you mention that. Before I ended up at the 828, I had bought a UA Apollo which was Thunderbolt 3, even says on the box it's 40gbs. Connect it up to my mbp so thunderbolt 3 on both sides, and it was unbearable. The fan noise alone made me think my laptop was preparing for liftoff. Sent it back and switched to a Twin, which was dead on arrival. UA told me to just send it back with barely any troubleshooting effort and I was like I'm going back to Motu. When I grabbed the M2 as a second non-aggregate interface, the Volt2 had just come out and I picked the Motu because of UA's tech support. No problems since, and I ended up with the UA Signature bundle of 60+ native plugins for $150.

 

Last edited: Feb 2, 2026 at 2:47 AM

yes, i debated between the audient and the m4 when i bought my m4. it was a tough choice. i went with the m4 because motu has a good reputation for updating their drivers.

 

When I bought the M2, the Volt2 was still about $100 more than it because they did not have the Volt276 out yet. After that, they dropped the Volt2 to the same price as the M2. Plenty of people on here have had good experience with the similarly priced Audients aand audio they have posted sounds like it has perfectly acceptable convertors for the money. There really are not that many options in the price range that are easy to recommend, even if some people have luck. Most of them try to add "extra value" with additional features and marketing (like the Volt2). The M2 does not. It does 2 functions and does them well enough. If you need more in and out of it, get more out of your wallet.