The Finest Audio Interfaces of 2025: Common Audio and Extra

Whereas open-source crusaders and techno-libertarians are applauding Common Audio’s current efforts to maneuver away from its “walled backyard” strategy to plug-ins, the reality is that a lot of the good ones nonetheless require the presence of an interface or a processor core to load up and run in your DAW of alternative. As we talked about within the write-up of the Apollo Twin, above: “good” is a large understatement when describing UAD’s hottest plug-ins.

Its digital re-creations of optical combine bus compressors, legendary reverbs, and heat, vibey tape machines are unmatched by some other prosumer-level producer, and the truth that its {hardware} powers the CPU-hungry algorithms that apply the magical high-end sheen to your combine makes the expensive leap into the UA universe properly price it.

Direct monitoring on the 4 included XLR unison preamps is crystal clear, almost latency-free, and loaded with clear headroom for something you plug into it. A big selection of inputs like a pair of ADAT I/Os and eight line-level 1/4″ jacks can deal with classes of all sizes, and the UA Console app makes routing, monitoring, and plug-in administration a breeze. When you go to a significant studio, that is the most typical interface you may see, usually with a number of stacked collectively for much more channels, which you are able to do with a single cable between units. —Pete Cottell