This is the test I was waiting for. Thanks, Julian. I am a Studio One user and I am tempted by its integration and the instrument input co-developed with Fender. After your video I am not as convinced as before to replace my Arturia Minifuse 2 to get better latency and overall better value. Thanks again for your efforts.
Hi there, I recently purchased the ES2 and while I observed quite a low latency, the failure to power the unit (even when fed a lead directly from my laptop USB-C thuderbolt output) was poor. Also, the unit itself is a bit cumbersome with a deep footprint. In comparison, my Arturia Minifuse 2 does the job quite well. I also have a Scarlett 2i2 Gen 2 which has done ok for years, although it's latency is worse, and there is some background noise. I tried the 2i2 Gen 4 and was very disappointed - no improvement in latency (I'd have thought newer software would help) and terrible background interference! Ok, this could all be down to my setup / laptop etc. But my conclusion is that the Minifuse 2 does a pretty good job, so I'm sticking with that!
Great as always! Could you also talk about drivers? Maybe a test with a large project in your DAW and see how the interfaces handle it? Your reviews are absolutely the best out there as everyone says, and I would love to see you do what no other does: test the ability to handle a large project. It's the only thing that's really hard to find any info on, but the drivers make this vary a bit from interface to interface. Anyway, awesome stuff.
I really appreciate this in depth analysis. I think Presonus really is a good company, but the whole RF issue and having to use 2 USB ports to power the unit has made me decide not to take this leap. Would love to see your take on the HD line though. Great job as always Julian! You're the best!
I got the Audient ID24 MK2 based on your review and Barry's recommendation. I'm happy with the sound quality and don't regret not waiting for this review. 😅😅
Not bad, PreSonus. Better than most of the other stuff you've put out, at least. I think the more expensive model has nicer components, so maybe it even fixes some of the noise and distortion things here. I would love to see you review the Beacn Studio, if only because they are so cagey about components and specs and it would be good to have someone put them in their place.
Nice. No huge flaws (maybe the headphone output impedance .. but sadly that's often the case). I might buy this one. I am already annoyed with the crackling of my Scarlett Solo, when I turn the analog output knob. I will never buy an interfave with analog knobs again. Would have been nice to see some internal DSP effects for the mic-input for live-applications. Or an easy way to route the signal through a plugin-host. I really don't understand, why all manufacturers are ignoring this obvious feature.
Its a pretty cool, sleek looking unit. Nice how the LED displays work for visual feedback. I doubt I would pick it over the SSL2+ or Audient ID24 though. It's a bit cheaper but I think I would rather pay that little bit more to be in the "excellent" performance range rather than "Good"
Could you please upload your full comparison tables somewhere? Would be very much appreciated and helpful to search for certain interfaces.BTW: Amazing work!
I hate this new trend of companies using fading lights on their dials. It’s hard to make an exact mark when I need to make different marks with tape for different projects. The fading lights on the dial makes accuracy impossible
Thank-you, Julian. The pre-amp noise test was TELLING. What monitors are those, please? I've scanned your other videos but cannot find a mention. Thanks.
Great job, as usual! I'll be interested to hear from guitarists whether the Fender-designed front panel input is any good. I'd also be interested to hear whether the Quantum HD versions do any better.
Waiting for this review. I decide to invest to AUDIENT ID4 MKII. I am still using my SCHIIT HEL2e now i decided to use proper Audio Interface since HEL don't have ASIO driver and not designed for my next serious project.
for anyone considering a presonus product, my revelator io24 crapped out after three years. the direct monitoring just started refusing to send any audio through my headphones (have tried different headphones and trs adapters, and tested my backup interface to make sure it wasnt my pc). 180 bucks down the drain. bought an ssl2+ to replace it
Julian Krause , if you choosing between DT 770 80ohm and 250ohm which one you gonna pick up, is there enough power for 250ohm to feel comfortable when you recording or editing, thanks in advance and BIG UP for you, the chanel and the humor😅🎉!
Thanks for your reviews! Can you take a look at the Yamaha AG03MK2? The interface is impressive just because of its functions. Unfortunately, there aren’t many RU-vid channels that go into such detail.
wow, presonus maybe finally taking their usb drivers seriously. sub 5ms at 48k/64 buffer is solid. Now, the real question is how stable will it run at that latency. Still, promising.
Recently bought a quantum HD 8 and have terrible latency. Tested with Windows 10 and on another system with Win 11. With an old Focusrite 6i6 i can get the Buffer to 64, with the quantum 256 without dropouts.
I just don't understand why they (almost all modern audio interface manufacturers) can't add a mute MIC button, why there are only mute output buttons everywhere? Can anyone explain, maybe there are some hardware limitations that don't allow this or otherwise I can't see any reason for it.
@@pepeweiss Probably because this feature is not often requested by musicians. For live streaming I find a mic mute super helpful but that’s likely why you only find this feature on streaming focused interfaces like the Lewitt Connect 2 and Elgato Wave XLR.
Which would you say has better sound from headphones and speakers? this or the id14? And in general what would you say is a better investment if I don't care about line inputs? Also is your middle knob top steel/aluminum? because it has a way different reflection than my unit Thanks a lot for the review! waiting to your review of the HD2 :)
My previous Presonus interface (24C) was horrid after a few years. Terrible buzzing appearing from nowhere, rubber disintegrated and lots of random problems with drivers and software like Discord. Went SSL2+ and never looked back.
HI Julian i Loved your videos man thanks for so much quality content, i would love to see a review of one of the new trendy audio interface the ZEN QUADRO by Antelope As it is an upgrade to the Zen go and Zen Q you reviewed a time ago. Hugs man!
Mr Krause, i am commenting from the Caribbean Islands of Trinidad and Tobago and i always follow your channel for comprehensive understandings of the right audio gear to choose. i have a question thats very important at this time, as im seeking a good and affordable audio interface, for voice over work, one that will not produce much noise , but can offer quality work. can you list some possible options? i tried the audient id 14, but it developed a low flickering sound, that presents itself in my audio. Can you list a few possible options, thanks
Are you using Windows? The problem you describe sounds like one that plagues a lot of Windows users with audio interfaces, and a flickering sound is certainly not expected with Audient devices. There are so many factors that can be responsible, so it's a real pain to fix. Perhaps the sample rate and bit rate of your device's settings do not match those in your software, or maybe you need to raise the buffer setting. Maybe a different cable or port will work better, since some cables and ports aren't rated as high as others. Do you know somebody who has a different audio interface that you could borrow? This would help to eliminate possibilities with regard to whether it is the audio interface or something else that is at fault. You might find the problem goes away if you use a higher Power Plan, or if you untick "Allow applicarions to take exclusive control of this device", or switch off Enhancements/Spatial sound. Infuriatingly, Windows throws settings for all these things all over the operating system, and turning them off in one place doesn't necessarily fix them in all. In some systems, it's a DPC latency issue which is more complicated to address since it involves changing the priorities of individual CPU cores so that the system avoids queueing data as much as possible. I wish Microsoft would streamline all of this, but the tl:dr is that the device is probably fine since it has lots of good reviews, and since the problem is outside of that you would probably see it with other devices too.
Earlier "Quantum" PreSonus interfaces were marketed as being among the bleeding edge in terms of low latency performance. They leveraged Thunderbolt and achieved latency figures lower than almost everything else on the market. This interface is NOT slow, but it IS significantly slower than the last generation of Quantum interfaces. Obviously you could argue than anything below 5ms is fast enough, but I think it's intentionally deceptive of Presonus to label this as a "Quantum" interface when it lacks Thunderbolt and the class leading low latency performance of previous PreSonus "Quantum" devices. This review is great but I wish Julian had briefly called out PreSonus on this topic. As the video continued I was increasingly surprised not to see this mentioned.
@@deja0entendu I guess I could blame whoever handles Thunderbolt on that. But TB3 and TB4/USB4 is compatible without needing adapters, will also be compatible to TB5. Yeah, motherboards rarely have Thunderbolt ports for some reason, except high-end ones.
@@deja0entendu Thunderbolt 2 used a Mini-Display port connector which is definitely not found on anything modern anymore. Thunderbolt 3/4 both use the USB-C connector, and are fully backwards compatible with any USB-C port. You won't necessary be able to take full advantage of Thunderbolt if your system has a "basic" USB-C implementation, but it will still work. Either way, I'm less irked by the exclusion of Thunderbolt, and more annoyed about the latency increase. RME manages to provide lower latency via USB 2.0 on their interfaces than this device does.
One thing that hardly anyone seems to know about the included software.. You get 6 month free Studio One +, but if you buy another 6 months it will become a Studio One + Hybrid plan that becomes a perpetual licence after a total of 12 month! This additional extra 6 month only costs 99eur. So, if you get the ES2 it will only cost you 99eur to get a full perpetual license 🙂 I did so myself in july.
I asked this before and have no clue how this works, but can you not perhaps make a deal with for example Thomann to send you stuff to review in exchange for...well mentioning Thomann?
Full dislosure - As a former PreSonus Interface Product Manager, this review and analysis of the Quantum ES 2 is expert level. It is given with a healthy dose of German humor, which is a real thing by the way,, despite contrary opinions. Julian gets it. For the $$$, PreSonus punches well above its weight in the most practical categories. Much respect to RIck Naqvi, and his crew in Baton Rouge / Hamburg.
@@comexs7 not at all. I mentioned in another comment on this video, after looking to the analysis I'm pretty underwhelmed with the RF issue and the dual usb powering system. I think I'm just going to get an ID14.
Great review, as always, nothing much about plastic construction? will it stand up to the rigours of gig-bag use? Interestingly you get 6 month subscription to Studio One Pro+ with this, with the option to get a Studio One Pro license for $99, so you save $50 if you buy the hardware. Lets see if it comes up on the Black Friday sale ...
