Found this on google while looking for taredowns of the AI1.
All of these replies are rather unprofessional and dumb imo. so imma compare both of the DACs Even tho its rather unnessecary
with my own personal experience with both dac's the scarlet would be my go to.
Scarlet cons are low quality interfaces that tend to be loose at times. (Fixable problem with enough patience), the ugly appearance and overall build quality.. it just feels kind of cheap.
Scarlet pros. Cleanest audio 192KHz rate and overall cheaper than the AI1, Has 2 inputs
AI1 cons Some reported it to make a hissing sound, i personally didnt ever have that problem. but multiple reviews dont lie.. 96KHz being a lower quality, Cant drive high ohm headphones. like the bare dynamics TD 770s has only one input that you can chose between line in or mic.
AI1 pros Built like tank Really high quality. its black sleek and fits in every desk has really nice interface plug that has both support for 6.35 jack and a XLR plug in one spot.
At time of writing. the scarlet is $119 and the AI1 is $129
TLDR Get the scarlet over the AI1