Audient EVO range price structure.

[Moroccomoose]

Since the cup of tea incident the other week, I have been considering my audio computer options.

I generally try to keep gear working for as long as I can, but feel now might be the time to move on from my firewire profire 2626 to a USB solution with the view of USB allowing much more flexibility.

To that end, I have been very intrigued by the SOS reviews of the Audient EVO 16 and the future expansion with the Evo SP8.

However, I can't understand why on Andersons Music, the Evo 16 @ £375 is cheaper than the Evo SP8 @£399 when the SP8 isn't even an interface.

Can anyone shed any light?

[Wonks]

The SP8 looks the same as the EVO16, but without the USB connection for I/O (it’s got one but just for firmware updating) and the ADAT ports are its only I/O connections. Otherwise the connector count is the same. So to me it looks like exactly the same unit but with slightly different firmware.

No idea why it’s more expensive. Logically it should be cheaper.

[Moroccomoose]

That's where I got to. Its not putting me off the EVO 16, and I have a pair of Alessis AI3s, for extended IO, it just doesn't seem right for a unit with reduced features to cost more.

But it would look nice on my setup, a 16 with two SP8s!

[Drew Stephenson]

Maybe because they expect to sell many more of the EVO16 than the SP8 and they don't get the same economies of scale?

I'm clutching at straws here.

[Hugh Robjohns]

I've not researched comparable units, but I wonder if it's also about relative pricing with comparable standalone ADAT I/O units? It defies logic, but people don't recognise quality if the price is too low.

[Wonks]

Maybe because they expect to sell many more of the EVO16 than the SP8 and they don't get the same economies of scale?

I'm clutching at straws here.

Economies of scale are in production, not firmware changes. I expect you could probably blow the SP8 firmware into the EVO 16 and it would work as an SP8.

[Drew Stephenson]

Yeah, Hugh's reasoning sounds more logical. Price points and all that.

[Wonks]

Or blatant overcharging.

[Moroccomoose]

I s'pose you could get the ADAT expansion with additional EVO16s. It'd mean you'd have a backup if one failed.

[James Perrett]

I'd have to agree with Hugh - the SP8 is at the cheap end of ADAT expanders. The only cheaper alternative would be a Behringer ADA8200 but that one doesn't work at high sample rates. However, you may well not need an expander if you can get your Profire 2626 to work in stand-alone mode which is what I do with my old Focusrite interface. The Profire should give you 8 extra inputs and outputs for the Evo 16 with probably better conversion quality than your existing AI3.

[Drew Stephenson]

Or blatant overcharging.

Seems a trifle harsh! As James says there's not a slew of better priced products out there with the same features.

I'm sure Audient would suggest that it's actually the Evo that is more heavily discounted in order to meet a more competitive market...

[Wonks]

What’s harsh about it if they are the same product, just with different firmware?

[Matt Houghton]

I don't know if it's still the case — I've not looked recently — but in some territories (the UK was one) I think devices with USB were in a different tax category (computer peripherals) to standalone audio amps/processors. I don't know what if any impact this would have on the price.

But I suspect it's a question of scale. I'd bet my house on the fact that they plan on make/selling many more of the interfaces than the expanders.

It's still very good value, I reckon.

[Drew Stephenson]

What’s harsh about it if they are the same product, just with different firmware?

Well the pre-amp might be cross-funding a lower-than-usual margin interface? I'm not suggesting that the EVO is loss-leading but it might rely on a wider pricing strategy to keep it appropriately profitable.

[Wonks]

I doubt anyone would base a pricing strategy on such a shaky premise. I could understand it more if the difference were based on retailer bulk discounts so a supplier orders 30 EVO 16s and 3 SP8s and even though the unit price may be identical, the bulk discount on 30 compared to 3 makes the EVO16 cheaper in the shop. I've seen bigger differences between EVO16 prices than the SP8, which seems to be the same price everywhere I've looked.

Assuming the EVO16 can be used as an expansion unit in just the same way as an SP8, I'm not quite sure why anyone would buy a more expensive SP8.

[Wonks]

And the EVO16 can definitely be used in stand-alone mode.

https://support.audient.com/hc/en-us/ar ... -Operation

[jaminem]

I'm looking at the Audients as an expansion for my ever expanding keyboard world and I too wondered about the price difference. While I'm happy that the Evo can be used in standalone mode the thing that would put me off is the lack of word clock in. Its only got a word clock out. Yes you can clock it through ADAT I guess but I'd be wanting the word clock so it can hang off my master clock.

Admittedly that doesn't explain the price difference (I just assumed its not been discounted yet as its quite new) but it does go in its favour for me with my setup.

As an aside for me I don't see anything else of the same quality even remotely in the price range so It appears to be an excellent product at a very competitive price point.

If I had my wish they could ditch the preamps and just give me 8 balanced line ins and outs with that converter quality and id be as happy as a pig in poo.

[Wonks]

While I'm happy that the Evo can be used in standalone mode the thing that would put me off is the lack of word clock in. Its only got a word clock out.

Ah, that will be the big difference then between the EVO16 and the SP8 then. The SP8 has word clock in and the EVO16 word clock out. But that doesn't make the EVO16 word clock friendly if you do want to use an external master clock. Otherwise it's optical clocking if you want the EVO16 set to an external clock source.

[jaminem]

While I'm happy that the Evo can be used in standalone mode the thing that would put me off is the lack of word clock in. Its only got a word clock out.

Ah, that will be the big difference then between the EVO16 and the SP8 then. The SP8 has word clock in and the EVO16 word clock out. But that doesn't make the EVO16 word clock friendly if you do want to use an external master clock. Otherwise it's optical clocking if you want the EVO16 set to an external clock source.

Yeah, a reasonable compromise given the price point I would say, and probably not a deal breaker for most considering its target audience. I'd still go SP8 tho, pay the extra and be happy with it I'm sure!