How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-07 · 8 min read · Independent comparison
• StreamEye Focusrite Scarlett Solo — biggest strength: it's a bundle, not just an interface. The Focusrite Scarlett Solo (4th Gen) ships alongside the StreamEye Cans50 closed-back headphones, the BOOMARM1 boom arm, a 10-foot balanced XLR cable and a gooseneck pop filter, so a beginner goes from empty desk to a working mic chain without chasing down four separate purchases.
• StreamEye Focusrite Scarlett Solo — biggest trade-off: it's a one-input, one-channel interface with a single mic pre. If you ever want to record two microphones or two instruments at the same time, this is not the box for that.
• MAONO USB Audio Interface — biggest strength: flexibility in the software layer. The PS22 Lite runs 24-bit/192 kHz with a 106 dB dynamic range, offers 56 dB of preamp gain with 48V phantom power, and includes ProStudio Routing Software with extra virtual channels, loopback and ASIO driver support.
• MAONO USB Audio Interface — biggest trade-off: it's an interface only. You supply your own headphones, mic stand or boom arm, XLR cable and pop filter, so the "out of the box" cost of a full setup is spread across more orders.
• Who each pick is for: the StreamEye bundle suits the student or first-time recordist who wants one purchase and a finished desk setup; the MAONO suits the tinkerer who already owns accessories and wants routing and loopback control.
The headline spec here is the preamp. The Scarlett Solo (4th Gen) delivers 57 dB of gain, which is a meaningful number if you're running a broadcast-style dynamic microphone — the kind that needs a lot of clean gain before it sounds like anything. Plenty of entry-level interfaces run out of headroom on quiet dynamic mics, and you end up cranking the knob and hearing the noise floor come up with it. 57 dB is enough to drive a quiet dynamic mic without an inline preamp in the chain. It converts at up to 24-bit/192 kHz over USB-C and is bus-powered, so there's no wall wart to hunt for.
The second thing I actually care about is the Dynamic Gain Halos. Instead of a tiny clip LED you have to squint at, there's a ring of light around each gain knob — green for working level, amber as you approach clipping, red when you've clipped. If you're a student recording a voiceover at 1 a.m. while also watching the waveform, that's genuinely useful: you see the level climb before it peaks rather than discovering the problem in playback. Air Mode adds harmonic presence to a dry, unmastered vocal, which is the kind of thing that helps a raw take sit forward in the mix without heavy EQ.
Then there's the stuff around the interface. The BOOMARM1 is a 27-inch aluminum boom arm rated to hold up to 2.8 lb, with external tension springs — that design choice matters because springs on the outside don't creak the way internal ones can when you nudge the arm mid-take. It clamps to desk edges up to 2.95 inches thick and includes both 3/8-inch and 5/8-inch thread adapters plus a detachable universal mic clip. The Cans50 headphones are closed-back with 50 mm drivers and 32-ohm impedance, so they'll run off basically any headphone output — including a laptop's. Closed-back matters for tracking: you hear the click track and your own voice, and the mic doesn't hear your headphones bleeding back in.
Buy it if you're setting up a study desk, dorm room or bedroom studio from scratch and you want the entire chain — interface, headphones, arm, cable, pop filter — in a single order, or if you're running a quiet dynamic mic and need real gain. Skip it if you already own good headphones and a stand, or if you need to record two sources at once; the Solo is a single-channel, one-preamp design.
The MAONO PS22 Lite is the more conventional "interface in a box" product, and it's a solid one on paper. It records at 24-bit/192 kHz with a 106 dB dynamic range, offers up to 56 dB of preamp gain, and supplies 48V phantom power, so it takes both condenser and dynamic microphones. There's a dedicated instrument input with adjustable impedance for guitar, which is the feature that separates it from a plain mic interface — you can track a guitar direct and shape how the pickup interacts with the input rather than just plugging into a flat line input. It's class-compliant-ish in spirit: plug-and-play with Windows and macOS, and it supports four channels.
The differentiator is ProStudio Routing Software. This is where the PS22 Lite punches above what you'd expect from a simple USB interface: extra virtual channels and loopback routing, plus ASIO driver support for low-latency output. Loopback is the single most useful feature for anyone doing live streaming, gaming commentary or online classes — it lets you route system audio and your microphone into the same stream without a second device or a virtual cable workaround. If you're a student who streams study sessions, takes online lessons, or records voice-over alongside desktop audio, loopback saves you a whole layer of software duct tape.
Build-wise, the design is aimed at beginners: intuitive modes for recording, live broadcast and instruments, plus a direct monitoring switch so you can hear yourself with zero DAW round-trip. Direct monitoring is the same idea as the Focusrite's — hear the mic in your headphones without latency — and it's the feature that keeps you from singing or speaking out of time with your own track.
Buy it if you already have headphones, a mic and a stand, or if you specifically need loopback and virtual routing for streaming. Skip it if you want a single purchase that ends with a complete, cabled-up desk setup — you'll be buying the accessories separately.
• Best all-in-one setup for studying → StreamEye Focusrite Scarlett Solo. Interface, headphones, boom arm, XLR cable and pop filter in one box.
• Best preamp gain for quiet dynamic mics → StreamEye Focusrite Scarlett Solo. 57 dB of gain versus 56 dB on the MAONO — close on paper, but the Focusrite's Air Mode presence circuit is the extra tool for dry vocals.
• Best for streaming with system audio → MAONO USB Audio Interface. Loopback and extra virtual channels in the included routing software.
• Best for recording guitar alongside vocals → MAONO USB Audio Interface. Dedicated instrument input with adjustable impedance.
• Best level-metering while you record → StreamEye Focusrite Scarlett Solo. The green/amber/red gain halos beat a single clip LED.
• Best for someone who already owns headphones and a stand → MAONO USB Audio Interface. You're not paying for accessories you don't need.
• Best for a dorm or shared room → StreamEye Focusrite Scarlett Solo. Closed-back Cans50 headphones plus a boom arm keep the mic off the desk and the click track out of the room.
• Best for multi-source recording → MAONO USB Audio Interface. Four channels versus the Solo's single channel.
For studying — voiceovers, lecture recordings, practice takes, late-night streaming — I'd buy the StreamEye Focusrite Scarlett Solo bundle. In my opinion, the deciding factor isn't the interface itself; it's that the box solves the whole problem at once. A bare interface sitting on a desk with the mic on a wobbly stand and no pop filter is a setup that makes bad recordings, and the bundle closes that gap on day one. The MAONO is the better pick only for a specific person: someone who already has the accessories and wants loopback routing. If that's not you, the bundle is the more complete answer for a study setup.
For most beginners, yes — because it includes the headphones, boom arm, XLR cable and pop filter, so you're not assembling a chain from four separate orders. The MAONO is the better beginner pick if you already own those accessories.
Only if you're using a condenser microphone. The MAONO PS22 Lite supplies 48V phantom power; the Scarlett Solo's combo XLR input runs phantom-powered condensers and dynamic mics as well. If you're on a dynamic broadcast mic, neither interface requires phantom power for it.
Both offer zero-latency direct monitoring, which routes your mic straight to the headphones without a DAW round-trip. The MAONO additionally supports ASIO drivers for low-latency output. In practice, direct monitoring is what you'll use while tracking on either.
The Solo is a single-channel interface without the loopback routing that the MAONO's ProStudio software provides. For mixing desktop audio into a stream, the MAONO's loopback is the more direct route. Check the current price on Amazon before deciding — the page has a button for that.
• PIWIJOY RGB Gaming Headset vs Tascaquin Headphone Stand
• our Amylove 8 vs Alpine Hearing Protection Muff pick
• JVC Lightweight Flat vs Arama Cordless Phone Headset
• Turtle Beach Recon 70 vs SKAPENDY Gaming Headset
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.