Apogee Duet vs Apollo Twin: Which Audio Interface is Better?

Audio interfaces are designed to enhance the audio capabilities of your computer. The sound difference of your recordings can be huge with a much fuller range. Even when not recording, you may want to consider an audio interface to connect speakers and monitors to have better control over the sound quality.

We are going to look at Apogee Duet, which has been played a key role in numerous GRAMMY winning records and the professional Apollo Twin. We will compare their key features including the technology and software that they have. We will add a comparison chart for quick viewing and some pros and cons of each before deciding which is the better buy.

There are a few similarities between the Apogee Duet and the Apollo Twin, so we will begin here.

Quick Glance

Here is a quick recap of their features.

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Ideal Uses

Both the Apogee Duet and the Apollo Twin are ideal for any musical project from the initial recordings to putting on the finishing touches to your songs. They can also be used for mixing

Conversion

You can use the Apogee Duet and the Apollo Twin for A/D and D/A conversion analog-digital/digital-analog). The maximum recording capability of these audio interfaces is up to 192KHz/24-bit.

Microphone Preamps

Sometimes, microphone signals aren’t strong enough to be adequately transmitted. The Apogee Duet and the Apollo Twin have 2 microphone preamps that increase microphone sound levels but also provide a cleaner, more precise signal while reducing distortion.

Now, let’s focus on what makes the Apogee Duet and the Apollo Twin different.

These audio interfaces are small enough to be portable and both look smart and modern.

Apogee Duet

This is the smaller audio interface at 6.3 x 4 x 0.8 inches. It weighs just 1.1 pounds and the overall design is very eye-catching.

Apollo Twin

At 6.3 x 2.6 5.86 inches, it is still a compact unit. It weighs 2.35 pounds. The design is still nice but not quite as attractive as the Apogee Duet.

The Winner Is- The Apogee Duet

What you need to connect to the audio interfaces is probably one of the most important things to consider.

Apogee Duet

There are 2 analog inputs, a combination line-balanced +20dBu max. You will also find 4 analog outputs, balanced lines, headphones, and speakers.

Apollo Twin

In this case, you have 3 analog inputs, 2 XLR/TRS combos, and a ¼” jack. There are also 8 channels via optical connection. For the outputs, there are 4 analogs ¼” jacks.

The Winner Is- The Apollo Twin

Again, another important decision will depend on the operating system you use.

Apogee Duet

This has been designed for Mac users in mind, that being said, it is also compatible with Windows 10. To connect to your device, it requires a 2.0 high-speed USB.

Apollo Twin

You can use the Apollo Duet with Mac or Windows. For Mac, you need a Thunderbolt port and for PC, a Thunderbolt 3.

The Winner Is- A Tie

This might be a personal preference but there is a difference in how you operate the audio interfaces.

Apogee Duet

It comes with a full OLED display. There is a dial knob in the center and two touchpads, one either side of the dial.

Apollo Twin

The dial knob is in the center with buttons underneath. There are LED indicators around the dial and above the buttons.

The Winner Is- The Apogee Duet

The final big decision is how easy the user interface and software are to create your music projects.

Apogee Duet

With Apogee Soft Limit, the audio interface stops the clipping before it gets to the A/D converter which can cause distortion by rounding of peaks. It also allows for more decibels of apparent level when recording.

Apollo Twin

The industry standard Luna Recording System is one of the fastest environments for music production, editing, and mixing.

The Winner Is- A Tie

Before the final decision, we will take a look at some pros and cons of the Apogee Duet and the Apollo Twin.