Elgato Wave XLR Pro review: The perfect audio interface for streamers?

With the Wave XLR MK.2, Elgato launched an excellent audio interface back in March, which impressed us in our test with its intuitive operation and outstanding sound. Easy to set up, easy to use, but… not enough for demanding streamers. This has now changed with the new Elgato Wave XLR Pro. Two XLR inputs, 5×12-channel audio mixer without latency and the ingenious features of Wave Link 3.0 – all at hardware level in a device that is smaller than many normal audio interfaces. Perfect for dual PC streaming, console gaming and podcasts. Find out whether and for whom the purchase is worthwhile in the Elgato Wave XLR Pro test.

Technical data of the Elgato Wave XLR Pro

The product	Wave XLR Pro
resolution	24-bit
Sample Rate	48 kHz
Dynamic range	135 dB
Frequency response (XLR)	20 Hz to 20,000 Hz
Frequency response (jack)	20 Hz to 20,000 Hz
Connections	Microphone 1 (XLR, mono), microphone 2 (XLR, mono), headphones 1 (6.3 and 3.5 mm TRS jack, stereo), headphones 2 (6.3 and 3.5 mm jack, stereo), line input (3.5 mm TRS jack, stereo), line output (3.5 mm TRS jack, stereo), host I/O (USB-C 2.0 high-speed), aux I/O (USB-C 2.0 full-speed)
Preamp gain	80 dB (x2)
Dimensions and weight	97 mm x 185 mm x 37 mm; 385g
Special features	Wave FX processor; Clipguard 2.0; Onboard effects; Auto Gain Wizard; Voice Focus; LED display; Touch surface; Stream Deck integration; Ducking, Mix-Maxing; Standalone mode
The price	RRP: 349.99 euros

Elgato Wave XLR Pro vs Wave MK.2: What are the differences?

Elgato has completely overhauled its Wave audio lineup with the Wave Next generation. The focus is on two interfaces: the Wave XLR MK.2 as a modern single-input interface and the new Wave XLR Pro as the flagship for complex production setups. Both share the same technological core, but differ considerably in terms of inputs, routing depth and connection variety. If you want to buy the right device, you should know the differences.

What they both have in common

At the heart of both devices is the Wave FX Processor, which was developed jointly with LEWITT Audio. It processes Clipguard 2.0, DSP effects and VST inserts in a continuous signal flow – studio quality with ultra-low monitoring latency, without complicated routing. Both offer 80 dB of clean gain, 48V phantom power, the Auto Gain Wizard and full integration with Wave Link 3.0 and Stream Deck.

The five DSP effects (low-cut filter, expander, voice tune, compressor and equalizer) run directly on the chip on both devices, not on the computer. This means: processed audio in real time that arrives in each app, without additional virtual devices or software detours.

One input vs. two inputs

The most fundamental difference is the input. The Wave XLR MK.2 has one XLR input. Perfect for solo setups. The Wave XLR Pro comes with two fully independent studio XLR preamps, both with 80 dB gain and 48V phantom power. This eliminates the need for a separate mixer in podcast setups with co-host or dual microphone productions.

Mixing engine: 5 x 12 hardware mixers (Pro only)

This is the area in which the Pro forms its own category. While the MK.2 handles its routing via Wave Link on the computer, the Wave XLR Pro has a complete hardware mixing engine with five independent stereo mixes at zero latency. Each mix draws from the same pool of twelve input channels, but can be individually configured per channel in terms of level, muting and effects chain.

In practice, this means that the personal headphone mix runs with DSP effects and full game audio, while the stream mix runs with VST processing and automatically ducked music – simultaneously, on the same hardware, without mutual interference. In addition, each mix has its own Mix Maximizer, a hardware loudness processor that compresses levels for broadcast sound without clipping.

Ducking (Pro only)

Exclusive to the Wave XLR Pro: hardware ducking. Background audio such as game sound or music is automatically turned down as soon as someone speaks and then returns. This runs entirely on the device, reacts immediately and can be configured individually for each mix. The stream mix gets ducked game audio, the personal headphone mix remains untouched.

Connections: significantly more options with the Pro

The Wave XLR MK.2 offers a 3.5 mm headphone output. The Pro goes much further: two headphone outputs at the front and rear, each with 3.5 mm and 6.3 mm jacks, which drive headphones up to 600 ohms. There is also a USB aux port for a second PC, a console or a smartphone as well as a stereo line input and output for external mixers or active monitors. A total of twelve input sources are available, which can be flexibly routed to all five output mixes.

Standalone mode (Pro only)

Another Pro-exclusive feature: The device works completely without a connected computer. In standalone mode, DSP effects, mix routing and output assignments remain active as last saved in Wave Link. VST plug-ins are not available as they require the host computer – all other processing continues to run on the Wave FX Processor.

Software-first instead of hardware mixer

A striking feature of the Pro is that there are no physical controls for routing or effects. This is a deliberate design decision. The mixing engine is in the hardware, Wave Link is the remote control for it. If you want tactile control, combine the Pro with a Stream Deck. The advantage of this approach is that the system grows with you. New features are added via software updates and new equipment can be integrated without changing the hardware.

Conclusion and price

The Wave XLR MK.2 costs 169.99 euros. The Wave XLR Pro costs 349.99 euros. The Wave XLR MK.2 is the right interface for anyone who operates a single microphone. With modern DSP, low noise and uncomplicated operation.

The Wave XLR Pro is not a direct upgrade, but a different device for different or more complex requirements: two microphones, full matrix mixing engine, ducking, standalone mode and significantly more connection options. The MK.2 is ideal for solo streaming or podcasting. If you run a dual setup, a co-host or a complex production studio, the Pro is a fully-fledged, pocket-sized mixing console.

Design and workmanship of the Elgato Wave XLR Pro

With the Wave XLR Pro, Elgato has opted for an independent design that clearly stands out from the Wave XLR MK.2. The housing is more compact than you would expect from looking at the list of connections, but still looks high-quality and well-made. There is a mounting point on the underside that can be used to attach the interface to a table or setup rack. A small but practical detail for anyone who wants to save desk space.

What is immediately noticeable is the lack of any physical controls. No faders, no pots, no buttons. The entire front of the Wave XLR Pro consists of connections: two headphone outputs at the front (3.5 mm and 6.3 mm jacks), plus two USB-C ports and the two XLR sockets at the back. There is a deliberate design philosophy behind this, which Elgato consistently follows and which I will discuss in detail in the practical section.

There is also a stereo line-in and a stereo line-out on the rear, both as 3.5 mm jacks. The second USB-C port is labeled as USB-Aux and is used to connect a second device. Gaming PC, console or smartphone. When you hold the device in your hand for the first time, you quickly realize that there is an unusually large number of connections in a very small housing for its dimensions.

However, one constructive point of criticism must be mentioned: Only one USB-C cable is included in the scope of delivery – for the host connection. If you want to use the USB Aux port for a second PC or console, you have to bring the second cable yourself. For a device costing 350 euros, a second cable would have been the minimum requirement.

The special features of the Elgato Wave XLR Pro

The Wave XLR MK.2 is already a powerful audio interface, but it is aimed at a clearly defined user group: solo setups, one microphone, uncomplicated entry. The Wave XLR Pro is built for a different target group and offers a range of features that you won’t find on any other interface in this price range in this combination.

The most obvious difference to the MK.2: The Wave XLR Pro offers two completely independent XLR inputs, each with 80 dB digital gain and separately activatable 48V phantom power. Both inputs can be configured completely independently in Wave Link. Own gain, own effects chain, own routing.

A Cloudlifter or external preamp booster is no longer necessary, even for gain-hungry microphones such as the Shure SM7B or the Electro-Voice RE20. However, if you still use one, you can simply switch it in between via “Inline Boost Compatibility” in Wave Link.

This makes the Wave XLR Pro the first choice for anyone who regularly records with a co-host, receives guests in the setup or simply wants to operate two microphones simultaneously – without having to set up a separate mixing console.

Wave FX Processor and Clipguard

As with the MK.2, the Wave XLR Pro also features Elgato’s Wave FX Processor, which was developed in cooperation with LEWITT Audio. It is the heart of the signal processing: Clipguard 2.0, the five DSP onboard effects and VST inserts all run via this chip. Directly on the hardware, not on the computer.

In practice, this means that the signal chain runs from the microphone capsule through the preamp, then through the Wave FX Processor with all its effects, and finally arrives at the computer as a fully processed signal. Every app, every program, every game receives the same processed signal. No virtual microphone device, no workarounds, no DAW required.

The DSP effects chain includes a low-cut filter, expander, voice tune (intelligent compression with tube character), compressor and a four-band EQ. All five run simultaneously and all run on the hardware. In addition, software plug-ins – reverb, voice changer, noise suppression and more – can be integrated directly into the hardware signal chain via the VST insert function, also with ultra-low monitoring latency.

Clipguard has been a core Elgato feature since the first Wave interface, but the second generation is noticeably more powerful. The system works on several levels simultaneously: stacked ADC converters intercept clipping at the source, an internal 32-bit float format ensures sufficient headroom, and digital limiters smooth out sudden level peaks at the output. Anyone who has ever unintentionally clipped in the middle of a live stream or podcast recording will know how valuable reliable protection circuitry is.

App connection: Wave Link 3.0

Wave Link 3.0 has been developed from scratch and is the control center of the entire Wave XLR Pro setup. The interface shows all active input channels, all five mixes and their output routing in a clearly arranged view. New channels can be added with a click, effects can be activated individually per channel and per mix, ducking can be configured per mix and the maximizer can be set separately for each output.

Particularly practical: the Auto Gain Wizard in Wave Link analyzes your own voice in just a few seconds and automatically sets the optimum gain value – including initial DSP configuration based on the voice characteristics. This is a real relief for anyone who is new to the world of professional audio interfaces and doesn’t want to work their way through manual level settings.

Stream Deck integration is seamless: the WaveLink plug-in for Stream Deck allows the entire current mix status to be exported to a Stream Deck with just a few clicks. Volume controls, mute buttons, effect toggles – everything appears on the Stream Deck’s LCD buttons and knobs, ready for immediate use. How the whole thing is divided up and which functions are assigned to which buttons can be fully customized.

Elgato Wave XLR Pro in a practical test

Hardware mixing engine: 5 mixes, zero latency

This is the feature that clearly sets the Wave XLR Pro apart from all comparable interfaces. While the routing of the Wave XLR MK.2 runs on the software side in Wave Link on the computer, the Pro has a complete mixing engine directly on the device. Five independent stereo mixes, each with up to twelve input channels, zero latency, all in hardware.

What this means in practice is best illustrated by a typical streaming setup. Running simultaneously on the Wave XLR Pro are: a personal headphone mix with all personal sources in full dynamics, a stream mix for OBS with VST-processed voice and automatically ducked playback sound, a chat mix for Discord, a recording mix for clean post-processing and an aux mix for a second device. All five run simultaneously, all in hardware, no software roundtrip, no dependence on the PC.

And this is also the decisive advantage over software-based solutions: If Wave Link crashes or hangs briefly, the Wave XLR Pro simply continues to run. The mixes are stored in the device, not in the app.

Ducking

Ducking is exclusive to the Wave XLR Pro and is one of those features that you won’t want to miss after a short time. The principle is simple: a key channel, typically the microphone, is defined as the main source. As soon as you speak, other channels are automatically attenuated by an adjustable amount and return after you have finished speaking. This runs entirely in hardware, reacts immediately and requires no manual intervention.

The depth is in the per-mix routing. Ducking can be activated or deactivated individually for each mix. In the stream mix, the game audio is automatically turned down as soon as you speak. In the personal headphone mix, it remains at full level because you don’t want to hear any hard cuts while playing. Both at the same time, on the same hardware, without activating any switches.

Mix Maximizer

A separate Mix Maximizer is available for each of the five mixes. This is a one-knob loudness processor that combines limiter and makeup gain: As the level increases, it lowers the threshold, simultaneously increasing the gain and compressing the signal into a richer, louder broadcast sound, with no clipping possible. If you want to control the stream mix for maximum effect, but want the recording to be dynamic and unprocessed, simply set this separately for each mix.

Standalone mode

A feature that is rarely found in this price range: the Wave XLR Pro works completely without a connected computer. In standalone mode, the device retains the last configuration saved in Wave Link – DSP effects, mix routing, output assignments – and continues to work independently. If you just want to have a quick game without booting up the streaming PC, you can still get processed monitoring audio directly in the headphones. VST plugins do not run in standalone mode as they require the host computer. Everything else works.
Connections and routing in practice

In practice, the connection density of the Wave XLR Pro shows why Elgato has deliberately not cut corners here. Dual PC setup: Gaming PC to USB aux, streaming PC to USB host – the Wave XLR Pro routes the game audio from the gaming PC as a separate channel in the streaming mix, while at the same time sending the processed microphone signal back to the gaming PC for in-game voice chat. Two headphones with their own mixes? No problem, headphones 1 and 2 can be routed to any mix. Speakers via line-out with their own mix without microphone signal to avoid a feedback loop? Also possible.

If you want to integrate a console, connect it via USB Aux. The console audio comes back into the interface as a separate channel, the microphone signal goes back to the console via USB for party chat. All without additional adapters, without external mixers, without a capture card for the audio.

No physical controller – a clever compromise

The Wave XLR Pro has no faders, no pots, no knobs. This is the most striking design decision that Elgato has made here, and also the most polarizing.

The idea behind it is understandable: With the Stream Deck, Elgato has the most popular hardware control unit for streamers in its portfolio. If you invest your budget entirely in the processing power of the interface and outsource the control to modular, expandable hardware, you get a more flexible system than any interface with fixed faders. Instead of four fixed faders as with the GoXLR, the Stream Deck Plus XL can have six rotary controls, or ten with two Stream Deck Plus simultaneously. And Stream Deck already controls lighting, camera, scenes and more.

If you don’t yet own a Stream Deck and want to control the Wave XLR Pro purely software-based via Wave Link, you’ll be fine. Mouse operation in Wave Link works smoothly. However, if you want to exploit the full potential of the Pro, sooner or later you’ll need a Stream Deck.

Elgato Wave XLR Pro Review: Conclusion

The Elgato Wave XLR Pro is no ordinary audio interface. It is a complete pocket-sized hardware mixer that combines dual XLR inputs, a real hardware mixing engine, automatic ducking, broadcast maximizer and a fully-fledged standalone mode in a compact housing. For only 350 euros and so compact that it is hardly noticeable on the desk.

The lack of physical controls is a decision that you can either understand or not. But in combination with a Stream Deck, their strength is immediately apparent. The system is modular, expandable and grows with the setup. Anyone who has ever set up five independent hardware mixes with zero latency, per-mix ducking and maximizer will understand why Elgato has not invested any budget in physical faders at this point. That would simply be going too far. The only noticeable point of criticism remains the scope of delivery: a second USB-C cable is simply a must for a device in this price range.

For streamers with a dual PC setup, podcasters with a co-host, creators with demanding multi-source routing or anyone who wants to switch from a classic mixing console to a software-based, modular solution – the Wave XLR Pro is the most consistent answer to these requirements that the market currently offers.