Focusrite Scarlett Solo (4th Gen) vs Audient EVO 4: Get the Audient EVO 4, narrowly. The Audient EVO 4 wins Preamps and Mic Inputs, but only just, and the...
The Ruling
The Audient EVO 4 wins Preamps and Mic Inputs — but only just, and the rest of the chart is close. It is the pricier of the two at $179.99, so the Focusrite Scarlett Solo (4th Gen) stays the pick if $20 matters more than those specs.
Unless…
At a Glance
Every axis is scored out of 10 from the catalog specs below. The scores are relative to the products on this page, so a 10 means “best of these”, not “perfect”, and two identical columns mean the catalog genuinely cannot separate them. Axes the catalog holds no figure for on both sides are left off entirely rather than guessed at.
| Category | Focusrite Scarlett Solo (4th Gen) | Audient EVO 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Audio Resolution | 10/10 | 7.5/10 |
| Preamps | 8.5/10 | 9.7/10 |
| Mic Inputs | 5/10 | 10/10 |
| Monitoring | 10/10 | 10/10 |
| Creator Features | 10/10 | 10/10 |
| Connectivity | 10/10 | 10/10 |
The Split
Compact 1-mic USB-C interface for solo creators who need clean voice and instrument input.
On paper the Focusrite Scarlett Solo (4th Gen) takes sample rate (192kHz, +96kHz) and dynamic range (120dB, +7dB). It gives up XLR inputs and preamp gain to the Audient EVO 4. It is the cheaper of the two, by $20.00.
Leads on
Higher sample rates capture more audio detail — important for professional recording and mixing.
Wider converter dynamic range means less noise between the quietest and loudest parts of a take.
Compact 2-in/2-out USB-C interface with Smartgain and clean preamps for creators and podcasters.
On paper the Audient EVO 4 takes XLR inputs (2, +1) and preamp gain (58dB, +1dB). It gives up sample rate and dynamic range to the Focusrite Scarlett Solo (4th Gen). That costs $20.00 more than the Focusrite Scarlett Solo (4th Gen).
Leads on
More XLR inputs let you record multiple microphones simultaneously.
More gain drives quiet dynamic microphones like the SM7B without a separate booster.
These 10 specs are the same on both of them, so none of it is part of the decision.
The Record
A group is won by whoever takes more of its rows outright. Specs the catalog cannot rank are shown but never decide a group.
Bottom Line
The Audient EVO 4 is the pick on the specs the catalog holds, but “better on paper” and “right for you” are different questions. Each case below names what the product is actually good at and who that suits.
The largest gap is sample rate, where the Focusrite Scarlett Solo (4th Gen) leads — 192kHz against 96kHz. Across the catalog's specification sheet the two differ on 4 specs. They match on 10 specs, including connection type, bit depth and phantom power. Two audio interfaces from Focusrite and Audient, each taking a different approach to audio quality and I/O flexibility.
Get the Audient EVO 4, narrowly. The Audient EVO 4 wins Preamps and Mic Inputs — but only just, and the rest of the chart is close. It is the pricier of the two at $179.99, so the Focusrite Scarlett Solo (4th Gen) stays the pick if $20 matters more than those specs.
Both share 10 specifications in the catalog, including connection type (usb-c, xlr, trs), bit depth (24-bit), phantom power (Yes) and headphone outputs (1), among others. None of those is a reason to pick one over the other.
The Audient EVO 4 costs $179.99 against $159.99, a difference of $20. The premium buys XLR inputs (2) and preamp gain (58dB). Whether that is worth it depends on which of those you would actually use.