Can you sell an audio interface that does not work?
Yes. Repairers, people replacing one component and buyers who want a project all shop deliberately at this end. None of them will accept a fault they discover after paying.
What actually goes wrong with audio interfaces
These are the faults that move an audio interface down the grades, and the first things a buyer will ask about:
- Discontinued drivers, which make the unit unusable on new machines
- Noisy or dead input channels
- Failing connectors and loose sockets
- Older interface standards no longer fitted to computers
Grading it honestly
Fair covers something heavily used, or with a described fault or missing part: around £18 to £90. For Parts covers something not working or incomplete, sold as seen: roughly £10 to £50. Grades are seller-declared and nobody inspects them for you, so grading up does not raise what you get — it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else. All five grades explained.
Working out what you actually have
Establish the fault properly rather than guessing at it:
- Confirm current drivers exist for the latest operating systems
- Record on every input and listen for noise
- Check every socket for looseness
Photographing the fault
Photograph the damage directly and in focus — it is the evidence that the rest of the description is honest:
- The interface from the front, controls visible
- The rear panel showing all inputs and outputs
- The connection port and any bundled cable
- Any worn label, damaged socket or scuffed case
What to state in the listing
Alongside the fault itself, buyers of broken audio interfaces want these confirmed:
- Brand, model, generation and connection type
- Number and type of inputs and outputs, and whether phantom power is available
- Current operating system driver support
- Whether the cable, power supply and any bundled software are included
Brand, model and I/O: “Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen Audio Interface, USB-C”. Generation matters because driver support differs. State the input count and whether the preamps have phantom power, which is what recording buyers need.
What buyers will ask
Answer these in the listing rather than waiting to be asked:
Check the maker’s current downloads page and say what you found. An interface without modern drivers is effectively unusable, and this is the thing buyers get caught by.
Test with a condenser mic if you can. It is essential for most recording setups and a failed 48V supply is a real fault.
Confirm the connection type and whether the cable comes with it. Older interfaces sometimes need adapters buyers will not have.
Is it worth repairing first?
Usually not, unless it is cheap and you can evidence it. What lifts the price is condition and completeness, which a repair rarely restores:
- Current driver support for modern operating systems
- Clean, quiet preamps with no channel noise
- All original cables, power supply and software licences
- Higher channel counts and better conversion
If the work would cost more than the gap between £50 and what a sound one fetches, sell it as is broken and let the buyer decide.
When to list it
Steady all year with a Christmas lift. Recent USB models sell within days; older FireWire units sell slowly because of connectivity.
Getting it to the buyer
Compact and easy to post. Include the correct cable and any power supply, and photograph what goes in.
WishThrift does not process payments, arrange delivery or hold funds. Confirm the money has cleared before the item leaves your hands, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed.
Ready to list it? Free to list, no commission, and neither side pays a buyer-protection fee — create a free account, or read the full audio interface selling guide if yours turns out to be sound.
Frequently asked questions
Is a broken audio interface worth anything?
Yes — typically £10 to £50 at For Parts against £40 to £200 working. Repairers and people harvesting one component buy deliberately at this end. Discontinued drivers, which make the unit unusable on new machines
Should I repair it before selling?
Usually not, unless the repair is cheap and you can evidence it. The things that genuinely lift the price are current driver support for modern operating systems and a repair rarely restores those.
What do buyers ask about a faulty audio interface?
The fault itself, in detail. Check the maker’s current downloads page and say what you found. An interface without modern drivers is effectively unusable, and this is the thing buyers get caught by. The listing that answers it before being asked is the one that sells.
See also: what audio interface is worth by condition · how to sell audio interface · condition grades explained · all broken & damaged guides · all selling guides.