Echo Audio AudioFire 2 review

The AudioFire2 is one of the cutest FireWire audio interface's we've seen.

Just a little bigger than an iPod, its compact design and attractive styling make it one of the most aesthetically pleasing bits of hardware ever to land on our test bench.

Hands on

Despite its small size, the AudioFire2 offers all the basic connectivity you might require. There are mono 1/4-inch jack ins and outs (a pair of each), plus a headphone mini-jack with its own volume control.

You're given an extra FireWire port for daisy-chaining devices, and an included widget can be attached to the back of the unit to provide MIDI and S/PDIF I/O.

The interface comes bundled with a copy of Tracktion 1, which isn't bad, but is a little outdated (version 3 of the software has not long been released).

In use

One thing that should be pointed out is that the headphone jack is set up as a second output.
This means that, in order to use it, you have to specify it as your output of choice in your software or your system's audio preferences.

This is annoying if you regularly switch between headphone and monitor outs, though the capability to have two separate stereo outputs makes the AudioFire2 perfect for mobile DJs.

Although its £150 price is a little steep - Behringer's similar FCA202 costs less than half that - The AudioFire2 performs well and will definitely appeal to the style-conscious.