RME are a terrible value cost wise

[Pancreas]

The RME UCX2 retails for $1700 and it only has the AK4458 dac

The Motu Ultralite MK5 at $650 (which is very similar in size and features), is almost three times less expensive, comes with ES9026PRO which is equivalent to the AK4490 in some Denons.

Both of these DACs are superior to the AK4458 in the RME and yet, the RME costs three times more, while having fewer features, ports, non OLED screen, and not even a legit SPDIF port like the Motu.

But somehow people keep believing the myth that RME have better drivers

The whole "exceptional support" is worth the price tag...

The reality is they built their brand name to charge these fees, you're paying that extra money for the name and brand.

If the exact same product was created by Motu, with literally everything exactly the same, except the name, it would cost no more than $800

$1000 max

Both RME and Apollo are the Apple of the interface world and Motu is android

And the motu mk5 used to be $595 in 2023, they raised the price to $650 even then is still an exceptional value

 

[DEF]

Stop shitting on RME. They provide better quality than other brands.
And quality has its price.
Quality is not necessarily 'the best measurements'

 

[oleg87]

Then don't buy them.
My ADI-2 DAC FS is a stellar piece of equipment, and I have zero regrets buying it. But then I also have an iPhone

 

[bluefuzz]

Both of these DACs are superior to the AK4458

The DAC chip itself is only a small part of the equation. It's what you do with it that counts. RME are known for solid build quality, stable drivers and good service. If you don't find value in what RME offers then nobody is forcing you to buy them. MOTU make fine gear too but around these parts the MK5 is a little more than half the price of the UCX2 ...

 

[witwald]

Both of these DACs are superior to the AK4458 in the RME and...

How are the ES9026PRO and AK4490 DACs superior to the AK4458?

 

[suttondesign]

yup, rme is my choice. unbelievable flexibility. my adi2 pro makes lots possible and is a small, inconspicuous presence on a shelf below the tv. i trust the longevity, too. super good value.

 

[Joachim Herbert]

Avoid that brand then.

 

[CarbonMakerU]

Numbers and measurements are great for comparisons, but quickly become meaningless if they are not actually audible with the average human ear. A reputation for both quality and customer service is never without merit. I will be sticking with my RME.

 

[MC_RME]

It's never a good idea to spit out simplified and generalized statements.

The RME UCX2 retails for $1700 and it only has the AK4458 dac

I am sorry for that, but here in Germany the price is currently around 1369 €, including VAT.

The Motu Ultralite MK5 at $650 (which is very similar in size and features)

I agree with that. But similar is not identical.

Both of these DACs are superior to the AK4458 in the RME and yet, the RME costs three times more, while having fewer features

Interesting. You have details? AFAIK the current Cuemix can't compete against TotalMix FX. Also there is no Word I/O, no DURec, and no 9 band PEQ (RoomEQ). The UCX II runs fully stand-alone (no OLED, but controls and a display for ALL settings). Things that might be more relevant than DAC dBs.

and not even a legit SPDIF port like the Motu.

So you never took a detailed look at what the UCX II is and has. It has separated SPDIF optical, SPDIF coaxial (RCA) and AES I/O (XLR). What is not legit about that? And where is the AES I/O on the Motu?

But somehow people keep believing the myth that RME have better drivers

There are many people who not believe but know that this is the case. But yes, your mileage may vary with the respective computer system and setup.

The whole "exceptional support" is worth the price tag...

Another good point for a buyer's checklist. Motu never had and still not have their own forum. But Mr. Steele does a tremendous job for many years, no doubt.

If the exact same product was created by Motu, with literally everything exactly the same, except the name, it would cost no more than $800

And with Topping it would be 500$. You might wait for that forever, though.

Both RME and Apollo are the Apple of the interface world and Motu is android

Then I did something wrong. We don't have a UFO-style headquarter nor billions of dollars

 

[amirm]

The whole "exceptional support" is worth the price tag...

We have top representative from RME in this forum. Where is the Motu rep?

 

[delta76]

A tactic that a lot of manufacturers have been using is to beef up the numbers, so in the specs their products look really good compared to some other products. Easily fool you at first glance or even first touch/use.
In reality, a well thought out, well designed features, good engineering, actual, responsive, long term support matter much more.

 

[greyhound]

I've been a hobbyist music producer for over 20 years. I recently upgraded my production setup to use a RME digiface interface and for the first time *ever* I've had a rock solid, low latency audio setup. It's really night and day. RME is 100% worth it to me.

 

[antcollinet]

The RME UCX2 retails for $1700 and it only has the AK4458 dac

The Motu Ultralite MK5 at $650 (which is very similar in size and features), is almost three times less expensive, comes with ES9026PRO which is equivalent to the AK4490 in some Denons.

Both of these DACs are superior to the AK4458 in the RME and yet, the RME costs three times more, while having fewer features, ports, non OLED screen, and not even a legit SPDIF port like the Motu.

But somehow people keep believing the myth that RME have better drivers

The whole "exceptional support" is worth the price tag...

The reality is they built their brand name to charge these fees, you're paying that extra money for the name and brand.

If the exact same product was created by Motu, with literally everything exactly the same, except the name, it would cost no more than $800

$1000 max

Both RME and Apollo are the Apple of the interface world and Motu is android

And the motu mk5 used to be $595 in 2023, they raised the price to $650 even then is still an exceptional value

You need to stop worrying about what DAC chip is installed, and start thinking about the measured performance of the device. And then the value added features.

Dac chip does not matter. Measured performance does. Someone can use the best dac chip in the world, and screw up the performance in the way it is implemented.

RME have state of the art performance regardless of what is inside. And a feature set to match.


If you came to us and said "this product has better performance and better features than RME at half the price" then there would be a discussion to be had.

 

[xaviescacs]

RME costs three times more, while having fewer features

Could you show a side by side list to clarify what you mean by "feature"?

 

[voodooless]

It's never a good idea to spit out simplified and generalized statements.



I am sorry for that, but here in Germany the price is currently around 1369 €, including VAT.



I agree with that. But similar is not identical.



Interesting. You have details? AFAIK the current Cuemix can't compete against TotalMix FX. Also there is no Word I/O, no DURec, and no 9 band PEQ (RoomEQ). The UCX II runs fully stand-alone (no OLED, but controls and a display for ALL settings). Things that might be more relevant than DAC dBs.



So you never took a detailed look at what the UCX II is and has. It has separated SPDIF optical, SPDIF coaxial (RCA) and AES I/O (XLR). What is not legit about that? And where is the AES I/O on the Motu?



There are many people who not believe but know that this is the case. But yes, your mileage may vary with the respective computer system and setup.



Another good point for a buyer's checklist. Motu never had and still not have their own forum. But Mr. Steele does a tremendous job for many years, no doubt.



And with Topping it would be 500$. You might wait for that forever, though.



Then I did something wrong. We don't have a UFO-style headquarter nor billions of dollars

 

[Purité Audio]

RME components imho are excellent never had an issue, their U.K. distributor however made the decision to only sell one unit through a chain of computer shops, not so excellent.
Keith

 

[StigErik]

OPs rant against RME like this is like bashing Porsche for having fewer cupholders than a Fiat.

Having owned at least ten different RME products over the past 25 years I'd have to say that you get what you pay for. Connectivity, stability, low latency, Totalmix software with its awesome routing possibilities makes it almost priceless to me. Sound is stellar too of course.

 

[Phorize]

The RME UCX2 retails for $1700 and it only has the AK4458 dac

The Motu Ultralite MK5 at $650 (which is very similar in size and features), is almost three times less expensive, comes with ES9026PRO which is equivalent to the AK4490 in some Denons.

Both of these DACs are superior to the AK4458 in the RME and yet, the RME costs three times more, while having fewer features, ports, non OLED screen, and not even a legit SPDIF port like the Motu.

But somehow people keep believing the myth that RME have better drivers

The whole "exceptional support" is worth the price tag...

The reality is they built their brand name to charge these fees, you're paying that extra money for the name and brand.

If the exact same product was created by Motu, with literally everything exactly the same, except the name, it would cost no more than $800

$1000 max

Both RME and Apollo are the Apple of the interface world and Motu is android

And the motu mk5 used to be $595 in 2023, they raised the price to $650 even then is still an exceptional value

End users don't need to know about the dac chip type at all, that's the product engineers concern. Value is subjectively defined in the end, buy according to your own priorities and don't worry about saving my money!

 

[Roland68]

The RME UCX2 retails for $1700 and it only has the AK4458 dac

The Motu Ultralite MK5 at $650 (which is very similar in size and features), is almost three times less expensive, comes with ES9026PRO which is equivalent to the AK4490 in some Denons.

Both of these DACs are superior to the AK4458 in the RME and yet, the RME costs three times more, while having fewer features, ports, non OLED screen, and not even a legit SPDIF port like the Motu.

But somehow people keep believing the myth that RME have better drivers

The whole "exceptional support" is worth the price tag...

The reality is they built their brand name to charge these fees, you're paying that extra money for the name and brand.

If the exact same product was created by Motu, with literally everything exactly the same, except the name, it would cost no more than $800

$1000 max

Both RME and Apollo are the Apple of the interface world and Motu is android

And the motu mk5 used to be $595 in 2023, they raised the price to $650 even then is still an exceptional value

Wow, you've discovered a device with similar functionality to a more expensive device from another company? That's really incredible and lucky for you, as you can apparently save a lot of money.
But what are you actually complaining about?
I can't see any reason for a complaint, or has RME done something to you?

Perhaps you are much smarter than the other users who buy RME, or there is a reason for it that you haven't yet understood.

Perhaps it's like Windows users who complain about the high prices of Apple computers and only realize after switching that they are saving money and time. And, more importantly, wasting less time and energy.
But you're always smarter afterwards.

 

[BDWoody]

The reality is they built their brand name to charge these fees, you're paying that extra money for the name and brand.

Seems like a pretty good business model. Make a high quality product, provide high quality support and service, and then reap the benefits of that hard work.

Do you think that profits are bad?

I always wonder where these hurt feeling rants come from.