MOTU · Prosumer · USB · 2021 on
MOTU's UltraLite line goes back to the FireWire era, and the mk5, launched in April 2021, is a ground-up redesign of the mk4's 18-in, 22-out half-rack layout. You still get two front mic, line or guitar preamps, six line inputs, ten balanced outputs, eight channels of ADAT, S/PDIF and MIDI. The box around them changed. It's steel with molded aluminum end caps now, a white OLED shows the meters, and it connects over USB-C as a class-compliant device. MOTU moved to the ESS ES9026PRO DAC and quotes 125 dB of dynamic range on the line outs, and the preamps reach +74 dB. CueMix 5, rebuilt as a native app for Mac, Windows and iOS, runs the on-board mixer and effects. It needs its 15 V power supply, so it won't run off a laptop alone.
In the photos
Look for the white OLED meter screen, individually backlit 48V and pad buttons, and on the back a USB-C port next to the DC power socket. The mk5 body is steel with molded aluminum end caps. The UltraLite-mk4 before it has an aluminum chassis and a USB 2.0 connection, the UltraLite AVB adds an Ethernet network port, and the mk3 Hybrid has FireWire.
Mac and Windows
It's USB audio class compliant, so a Mac or iPad runs it without a driver. MOTU's Gen 5 installer adds low-latency drivers, loopback and the CueMix 5 app, and the October 2026 release supports macOS 12 through macOS 27 on Apple silicon and Intel; Windows needs the installer and MOTU's spec page lists Windows 11 23H2 or later on Intel, AMD and ARM PCs.
Power, cables and licences
Check the listing photos against this list, and ask the seller about anything you can’t see. A missing power supply or a licence that won’t transfer should come off the price.
We found no documented hardware fault pattern. MOTU's firmware notes fixed glitchy audio input at 2x and 4x sample rates on some units (1.2.0, January 2023) and added a more robust USB streaming mode (1.1.8), and 2024 firmware added A/B monitoring and talkback, so an un-updated unit is missing fixes and features. It won't power up without its adapter.
Buying your first one? How to pick a first used interface covers inputs, mic gain and drivers, and the power supply guide covers which ones need their adapter.
Buying guide
Every UltraLite-mk5 for sale on eBay US today is new, demo or open-box dealer stock, so there's no used one to buy yet. We'd take Perfect Circuit's demo unit at $630 with free shipping, $70 under the $700 that most of the at least 13 dealer listings ask. It won't run without its 15 V DC, 1 A, tip-positive adapter, and the demo's title doesn't mention it, so confirm the adapter and both USB cables are in the box. Used M2s ask about 20% under new right now, so a used mk5 should come in under about $560 delivered, and its photos should show the white OLED screen and a USB-C port beside the DC socket, which rule out an mk4 or UltraLite AVB. Skip the open-box listing at $703 delivered, which asks more than new.
$629.95delivered
Perfect Circuit's demo unit at $630 with free shipping, $70 under every new listing here, from a 99.8% dealer. The title doesn't mention the 15 V adapter or USB cables, so confirm they're in the box before you buy.
MOTU UltraLite-mk5 USB-C AUDIO INTERFACE - DEMO - PERFECT CIRCUIT
$699.95delivered
New at the going $700 with free shipping from a 100% seller. A new one should have MOTU's 15 V adapter and both USB cables in the box, so there's nothing extra to budget for.
MOTU UltraLite-mk5 Audio Interface (USB 18x22)
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 14, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Snapshot
Checked . Some may have sold.
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 14, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Open box$629.95delivered
$629.95 · free shipping
Buy It Now$629.95
Good buy
Demo unit from Perfect Circuit. No adapter or cables named.
Seller: perfect_circuit_audio
99.8% positive
New$699.95delivered
$699.95 · free shipping
Buy It Now$699.95
Good buy
New, free shipping.
Seller: guildwatergear
100% positive
New$699.95delivered
$699.95 · free shipping
Buy It Now$699.95
Our take
New from Vintage King, free shipping.
Seller: vintagekingaudio
99.9% positive
New$699.95delivered
$699.95 · free shipping
Buy It Now$699.95
Our take
New from a dealer, free shipping.
Seller: fullcompass
99.9% positive
New$699.95delivered
$699.95 · free shipping
Buy It Now$699.95
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Our take
New, with Best Offer open.
Seller: downtownphoto
99.8% positive
New$699.95delivered
$699.95 · free shipping
Buy It Now$699.95
Our take
New from a dealer, free shipping.
Seller: 6ave
99.8% positive
$703.39est. delivered
$690.89 + $12.50 shipping
Buy It Now$690.89
Our take
Open box, no photo on the card. Asks more than new.
Seller: samashdirect
99.2% positive
New$729.90delivered
$729.90 · free shipping
Buy It Now$729.90
Our take
New, with MOTU's rackmount kit for $30 more than the bare unit.
Seller: sweetwatersound
99.8% positive
Prices change daily. The live eBay search shows everything listed now, including anything new since Oct 14, 2026.
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