Is there one Digital Interface better than another for playback?

[tdehan]

I have both a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 and a PreSonus AudioBox USB96 digital interface.  Wondering if when playing audio back live from a Cakewalk project through the digital interface if one is better than the other audio quality wise.

[Byron Dickens]

No

[tdehan]

1 hour ago, Byron Dickens said:

No

Thanks!

[Starship Krupa]

1 hour ago, tdehan said:

I have both a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 and a PreSonus AudioBox USB96 digital interface.  Wondering if when playing audio back live from a Cakewalk project through the digital interface if one is better than the other audio quality wise.

Not "better." As for whether they sound different, potentially, yes, due to different D/A converters and associated analog circuitry downstream.

In this situation, trust your ears. Listen to both. If you prefer one over the other, then, yes, one is better (for you) than the other.

[Lord Tim]

Even then, the difference with almost any interface these days is tiny. If you feel like something in impacting your mix, it won't be your interface, it'll almost certainly be your mixing skills. 25 years ago? Sure - there was a huge difference between interfaces, especially the budget ones, but even a $150 interface sounds better than something that had a bunch of extra zeroes on it in the past.

On the other hand, better drivers will give you better latency. The 2i2 is definitely a solid choice, but there's certainly nothing wrong with the Audiobox either. Try both, see what works best for you on your system.