This is a review and detailed measurements of the MOTU UltraLite-mk5 Audio Interface (ADC, DAC and headphone amplifier). It was kindly purchased new by a member and drop shipped to me for testing. It costs US $595.
I like that the UltraLite-mk5 comes in metal chassis but otherwise, it doesn't look exciting with its black and white screen:
There are a lot of inputs and outputs here:
It may be a pilot error but I was unhappy to plug the thing in and not have Windows recognize it. Fortunately their download package and control app is pretty small. Once there, Windows recognized it as well as having the usual ASIO interface that I used for my testing. Upon starting its control app, it offered to update itself which I let it. Was nice to see online update this way.
There was something strange that I had not seen before. As I was testing the unit, all of a sudden it started to play things on its own! I realized some background app was accessing it. Usually when you use ASIO interface, it puts the device in exclusive mode. Doesn't seem to be the case here. You may want to unselect it as the default Windows device or you get mixing of its sound together with your main app!
These interfaces have a ton of functionality so fasten your belt as we go through them in steps.
MOTU UltraLite-mk5 DAC Measurements
Many people here are interested in using these professional interfaces in hifi applications so let's see how its DAC performs:
That is really good performance for an interface!
Typical of other pro interfaces there is a lot more output than 4 volt nominate that I measure at so let's look at the full spectrum:
If you have an amplifier with low gain, this is one way to can get better combined SNR.
Dynamic range is well short of desktop products but for an interface, it is OK:
Disappointing to the see the "ESS DAC chip IMD Hump" that we discovered some three years ago still manifesting itself in new products:
What a lousy company ESS is by not teaching all of its licensees how to solve this problem.
Multitone test shows excellent performance:
I was super pleasantly surprised to see the most accurate reconstruction filter I have seen in a DAC:
Notice the full flat response in audible band and then truncation before the "Nyquist" frequency of 22.05 kHz. Wonder if this is a custom filter. Further, there is no scalloping of the noise floor. Very well done here.
Jitter performance is very good although noise floor is a bit high:
Linearity is a bit disappointing seeing how error starts to accumulate before we get to the end of our sweep at -120 dB:
Even $99 DACs these days nail this test.
EDIT: Motu contacted me shortly after the review and said the problem was the EQ filters at 192 kHz overflowing with full amplitude signal. Shutting off the filters fixed the problem and even improved the linearity above. See: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...view-audio-interface.24777/page-3#post-840477
By this time in my testing of DACs, I am happy as only one test is left which usually doesn't show anything untoward, namely the THD+N vs frequency. Such was not here:
What on earth is going on here in red? Investigating, I realized the sample rate was at 192 kHz. Strangely, when I switched to 48 kHz, the problem vanishes! Keeping at 192 kHz, we clearly see the problem at 100 Hz:
This is all artifacts right in the audible band! I can't think of any instrumentation that would cause such a problem. MOTU needs to investigate this and figure what is going on here.
MOTU UltraLite-mk5 ADC Measurements
There are both mic capable inputs and line level. I started testing with the Mic input set to its lowest gain:
Performance is nearly as good as line input which is nice:
This again is an excellent result:
Dynamic range is good especially at full 12 volt input:
Nothing of note in frequency response:
Linearity is underperforming though due to noise:
IMD distortion is good:
MOTU UltraLite-mk5 Headphone Amplifier Measurements
Headphone interfaces are usually pretty bad on audio interfaces. Let's see how it performs here:
There is really good news here as far as low distortion+noise. Not so good is the 2 volt output which limits power similar to portable headphone dongles at high impedances:
And low impedance unfortunately generates more distortion:
So better than a checklist item but best to use a proper headphone amplifier.
Conclusions
The MOTU UltraLite-mk5 seems to be a well engineered interface with a couple of glaring problems. Worst issue is the very high distortion at mid to lower frequencies at 192 kHz sampling. This shouldn't be there at all. The second is less severe and it is the IMD distortion rising at mid levels which is long behind us in desktop DACs as companies figured out how to deal with that.
Given the 192 kHz sampling problem, I can't recommend the MOTU UltraLite-mk5. If this is something that can be fixed with a firmware update, and I have access to verify the same, I will upgrade this rating to recommended.
With the bug with 192 kHz sampling resolved, I am going to give a recommendation to MOTU UltraLite-mk5.
Note as always that my assessment of interfaces is on their engineering and measurements. You need to judge their functionality.
-----------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.
Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/
I like that the UltraLite-mk5 comes in metal chassis but otherwise, it doesn't look exciting with its black and white screen:
There are a lot of inputs and outputs here:
It may be a pilot error but I was unhappy to plug the thing in and not have Windows recognize it. Fortunately their download package and control app is pretty small. Once there, Windows recognized it as well as having the usual ASIO interface that I used for my testing. Upon starting its control app, it offered to update itself which I let it. Was nice to see online update this way.
There was something strange that I had not seen before. As I was testing the unit, all of a sudden it started to play things on its own! I realized some background app was accessing it. Usually when you use ASIO interface, it puts the device in exclusive mode. Doesn't seem to be the case here. You may want to unselect it as the default Windows device or you get mixing of its sound together with your main app!
These interfaces have a ton of functionality so fasten your belt as we go through them in steps.
MOTU UltraLite-mk5 DAC Measurements
Many people here are interested in using these professional interfaces in hifi applications so let's see how its DAC performs:
That is really good performance for an interface!
Typical of other pro interfaces there is a lot more output than 4 volt nominate that I measure at so let's look at the full spectrum:
If you have an amplifier with low gain, this is one way to can get better combined SNR.
Dynamic range is well short of desktop products but for an interface, it is OK:
Disappointing to the see the "ESS DAC chip IMD Hump" that we discovered some three years ago still manifesting itself in new products:
What a lousy company ESS is by not teaching all of its licensees how to solve this problem.
Multitone test shows excellent performance:
I was super pleasantly surprised to see the most accurate reconstruction filter I have seen in a DAC:
Notice the full flat response in audible band and then truncation before the "Nyquist" frequency of 22.05 kHz. Wonder if this is a custom filter. Further, there is no scalloping of the noise floor. Very well done here.
Jitter performance is very good although noise floor is a bit high:
Linearity is a bit disappointing seeing how error starts to accumulate before we get to the end of our sweep at -120 dB:
Even $99 DACs these days nail this test.
EDIT: Motu contacted me shortly after the review and said the problem was the EQ filters at 192 kHz overflowing with full amplitude signal. Shutting off the filters fixed the problem and even improved the linearity above. See: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...view-audio-interface.24777/page-3#post-840477
MOTU UltraLite-mk5 ADC Measurements
There are both mic capable inputs and line level. I started testing with the Mic input set to its lowest gain:
Performance is nearly as good as line input which is nice:
This again is an excellent result:
Dynamic range is good especially at full 12 volt input:
Nothing of note in frequency response:
Linearity is underperforming though due to noise:
IMD distortion is good:
MOTU UltraLite-mk5 Headphone Amplifier Measurements
Headphone interfaces are usually pretty bad on audio interfaces. Let's see how it performs here:
There is really good news here as far as low distortion+noise. Not so good is the 2 volt output which limits power similar to portable headphone dongles at high impedances:
And low impedance unfortunately generates more distortion:
So better than a checklist item but best to use a proper headphone amplifier.
Conclusions
The MOTU UltraLite-mk5 seems to be a well engineered interface with a couple of glaring problems. Worst issue is the very high distortion at mid to lower frequencies at 192 kHz sampling. This shouldn't be there at all. The second is less severe and it is the IMD distortion rising at mid levels which is long behind us in desktop DACs as companies figured out how to deal with that.
With the bug with 192 kHz sampling resolved, I am going to give a recommendation to MOTU UltraLite-mk5.
Note as always that my assessment of interfaces is on their engineering and measurements. You need to judge their functionality.
-----------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.
Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/
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