That’s a very interesting comparison. The short answer: neither is “objectively best” at audio in all cases — it depends heavily on your workflow, what you want to do (mixing, mastering, sound design, video post-production, etc.), and how you optimize settings. But we can compare strengths, trade-offs, and which is more suitable in which scenario. (If you tell me your use case I can tell you which is better for you.)

Here’s a breakdown: Vegas Pro 21 vs Reaper on audio capabilities, pros/cons, and which is likely “better” depending on what you do.

What they are / core goals

• Vegas Pro 21 is primarily a video editing / post-production tool with audio features integrated. It’s built around editing video and audio in a timeline, combining tracks, adding effects, mixing for video output, etc. It includes integration with Sound Forge Pro for detailed audio editing. vegascreativesoftware.com+1

• Reaper is a dedicated Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Its focus is audio recording, mixing, routing, effects, and mastering. It has deep flexibility, routing, plugin hosting, scripting, etc. reaper.fm+1

Because Vegas is more “video + audio,” its audio tools are solid for many tasks but often not as deep or flexible as what you'd get in a full DAW. Several users note that for detailed editing of audio, a dedicated audio editor is preferable, though Vegas integrates with external tools. Reddit

Key technical capabilities & constraints

Here are some of the technical dimensions to consider, and how each software fares:

Also: some users report that Vegas’s default audio recording is 16-bit / 48 kHz, which may be limiting if you're doing high-end audio work — but you can change that under audio properties. vegascreativesoftware.info

What audio “best” really means in practice

When people say “which sounds better,” often what they mean is:

• Which gives fewer artifacts (noise, aliasing, distortion),

• Which gives more clarity, headroom, dynamics,

• Which gives more “musical control” (EQ, dynamics, effects)

• Which workflow gives you fewer mistakes.

In theory, when both are properly configured with good converters, bit depth, sample rate, plugin chains, etc., audio processed through Reaper vs Vegas (just audio side) should be indistinguishable in many cases. Many audio professionals believe DAWs don’t inherently color sound; differences come from plugins, routing, dithering, converters, and settings. (See videos / discussions like “Do DAWs sound different?”) YouTube

Also, there is a “null test” concept: you render in both and invert one, see whether they cancel out — if they null, they’re identical. Some users in forums show that differences in sound are often due to plugin oversampling or how rendering is handled. Gearspace+1

So the “best audio” often comes down not to which software you used, but how well you set up the pipeline, what plugins you use, how clean your recording chain is, and your mastering / mixing skills.

Pros & cons in real usage

Pros of Reaper for audio

• More audio-centric features: more control, more routing flexibility, deeper plugin processing.

• Lightweight, efficient, tends to handle large audio-only sessions well.

• You can build custom workflows, integrate scripts, custom effects, etc.

• Better suited when audio is your primary (or sole) concern.

• Less “video distraction” — full focus on audio.

Pros of Vegas Pro (for combined video + audio)

• Seamless integration of audio + video editing, syncing, transitions, etc.

• You don’t have to export audio separately, import, sync, etc.

• For many video post workflows, the audio tools are “good enough.”

• For straightforward mixing and effects in video projects, Vegas is very convenient.

• If your priority is video production + some audio polish, fewer tools to juggle.

Cons / limitations

• Vegas might not match Reaper’s flexibility, precision, or advanced routing.

• As mentioned, Vegas sometimes defaults to lower bit depths / sample rates unless changed.

• For very detailed audio work (mastering, special routing, side-chains, complex effects chains), Vegas may feel limiting.

• If your project grows in complexity (many audio tracks, advanced mixing), video + audio combined environment may get clunky.

Which is “better” for your case (and recommendation)

If your primary goal is audio (recording, music production, mixing, mastering, sound design), then Reaper is almost certainly going to give you better control, higher ceilings, and fewer compromises.

If your primary goal is video editing / post-production, with audio as one component, then Vegas Pro 21 is more convenient. It gives you integrated workflow, so you don’t have to bounce audio back and forth.

If you frequently do both — e.g. you do video + you want very high fidelity audio — a common workflow is:

• Use Reaper (or another DAW) for the heavy audio work (mixing, mastering, processing).

• Export the final audio stems (or full mix) at high resolution.

• Import into Vegas and sync / integrate with your video timeline, do final adjustments in context.

This hybrid approach gives you the best of both worlds.

If you like, I can do a list of use-case scenarios (for podcasts, music, video, game audio) and tell you in each case which would likely outperform. Do you want me to do that for your use case (you tell me what you do)?

Perfect — if your case is music production / recording / mixing / mastering, here’s how Vegas Pro 21 vs. Reaper plays out:

🎵 Music Production Use Case

Reaper

Why it fits best:

• Built as a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) → designed for recording instruments, MIDI, VST instruments, plugins, routing, and mastering.

• Unlimited tracks (practically), flexible busing, side-chaining, parallel processing → all the standard pro-audio tools.

• Extremely efficient with CPU & RAM — even big music sessions run smoothly.

• Customizable for personal workflow → you can script, automate, and build custom FX chains.

• Vast community support for music workflows (templates, free plugins, tutorials).

✅ Best for: Full music production pipelines (composing, arranging, recording, mixing, mastering).
❌ Weak for: Heavy video integration (unless you use it as an audio-only stage).

Vegas Pro 21

Why it’s weaker for music:

• Primarily a video editor → its audio engine is solid, but the toolset isn’t specialized for music.

• Lacks deep MIDI tools, VST instrument management, or advanced audio routing that musicians need.

• Good for cutting, basic EQ/compression, syncing sound to video, and cleaning dialogue/music for video.

• You can make music with it, but you’ll quickly feel the missing DAW features.

✅ Best for: Quick edits of music tied to video projects (music videos, film scoring with stems, live performance edits).
❌ Weak for: Pure music creation and serious mixing/mastering.

🔎 Summary for Music

If your goal is music only:
👉 Reaper is absolutely the better choice.

If you’re doing music inside a video workflow (e.g. scoring to picture, editing music videos):
👉 You’d still make the music in Reaper, then import the rendered track into Vegas Pro 21 for final sync and video editing.

Do you want me to also compare sound quality output (like rendering, dithering, plugin handling) between the two in the music case, or do you mainly care about workflow features?