For me, Komplete Audio 6 is the winner compared to the Audient id14 as it has more I/O and better resolution plus the MIDIs I/O. However, Audient id14 has its own pros too. So, let’s dig deeper.
Audient iD14
– Audient iD14 does not have a MIDI interface and includes 2 inputs and 4 outputs. Its resolution is 24 bit / 96 kHz and offers an affordable and great quality recording experience. The USB is bus-powered. It’s a perfect choice for personal use or a home studio.
Komplete Audio 6 – This recording interface comes with a MIDI interface, 6 outputs, and 6 inputs. It offers you an incredible 24 bit / 192 kHz resolution and delivers everything you need to record and play audio. The USB is bus-powered. It offers a quality home or small studio recording experience. As we mentioned before, it’s worth researching the market, as prices might differ with different sellers.
Direct Comparison
| Features | Audient iD14 | Komplete audio 6 |
| Total I/O | 2 in/4 out | 6 in/6 out |
| MIDI I/O | NO | Yes |
| Bus Powered | Yes | Yes |
| Resolution | 24-Bit/96 kHz | 24-Bit/192 kHz |
| USB 2.0 port | Yes | Yes |
| Zero-latency | Yes | Yes |
Last update on 2024-11-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
- Record audio in immaculate quality – up to 192 kHz/ 24-bit
- Connect your whole setup – 4 analog in/out, 2 digital in/out, 2 headphone out, and MIDI in/out
- Get creating with all the software you need to record and build tracks, plus synths, effects, and...
Last update on 2024-11-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Breaking it down
We will further explore additional features of these two audio interfaces: their construction, durability, design, quality of sound, software compatibility, and more. Analyzing all the features will hopefully make it easier for you to decide which one is more suited for your personal needs.
1. Build and design
Design plays a role when choosing your audio interface, but the most important factor is how the interface is built, as it should be durable and withstand every day and concert use. Audient iD14 is built sturdy and simplistically while including an elegant design. Komplete Audio 6 is also very beautifully designed, and it’s quite similar in the materials and colors used (black and silver). It’s lighter in weight than the iD 14.
Audient iD14
Sturdy, beautiful, and elegant, iD14’s body is a win-win. The user interface is clear and easy to use. Silver aluminum housing and buttons give it a beautiful look, accompanied by a black interface. The edges are rounded and add to its appeal. The weight of iD14 is 1.25 kg (2.75 pounds).
Komplete Audio 6
Komplete A. 6 might not be as elegant as iD14, but ist nicely designed. It comes in the same combination of colors (black and silver), or solely black. Both of the color combinations look beautiful, but the solely black one looks a bit more elegant.
Its body is very sturdy looking, and the edges are not rounded, like with the id14. The user interface is beautifully done, clear, and easy to use. The weight of Audio 6 is 850 grams (1.87 pounds).
Comparison
Both interfaces are user-friendly and beautifully finished. With rounded edges and silver buttons, iD14 is a winner when it comes to elegance and beauty.
When it comes to sturdiness, both interfaces are strongly built and similar in design, but iD 14 is heavier. Audio 6 might not be as elegant, but it catches up with more inputs and outputs. As they are very similar in price, this could end up in a tie for construction and design.
2. Sound quality
Sound quality is more likely the most significant feature that you would want from your interface. Two of the most important factors to measure your interface’s sound quality are the bit depth and sample rate. Bit depth is the factor that determines the fidelity level of your device.
The sample rate is the interfaces’ ability to capture and reproduce a certain frequency range. If the number of bits is higher, the recorded sound will resemble the original more closely.
If you want quality results that can match with a professional sound, you should consider the range of 24 bit / 96 kHz or higher.
Audient iD14
iD14 is developed and designed by Mr. David Dearden and has been in the process of refinement for more than 18 years, according to Audient. It offers a smooth and rich sound, and it has been used in many professional-grade studios all across the globe.
The elegant iD14 packs a 24 bit / 96 kHz sound quality, and it’s perfect for all of your recording needs. The two top-notch microphone preamplifiers offer you an additional edge.
Komplete Audio 6
Audio 6 offers you 24 bit /192 kHz sound quality! Just like iD 14, it packs two powerful preamplifiers, which offer you perfect recording. Komplete Audio 6 comes with a MIDI interface (iD 14 does not).
Comparison
Audio 6 offers you a higher sample rate (192 kHz) than the iD 14 (96 kHz). The bit depth is the same in both cases (24 bit). Both come with top quality preamplifiers, but Audio 6 also comes with a MIDI interface.
Nevertheless, they both seem to offer an overall professional-like sound recording experience. They both perform with low-latency and are bus-powered.
3. Monitoring
Monitoring is the interface’s ability to send the signal straight to the earphones or any other connected device for the user to listen to the sound being recorded. A good quality recording interface should come with zero or minimum latency. In this case, the input signal is sent directly to the headphones and the workstation, simultaneously recording the sound. Both of these interfaces come with low latency, which will allow you to use virtual effects and instruments.
Audient iD14
The iD 14 comes with as little as 1.6ms latency (or in some cases more), which means that the sound “misses” the user for only 1.6 of a millisecond. Most of the users don’t perceive latencies that are lower than 5ms.
Komplete Audio 6
Audio 6 also comes with minimum latency but seems to be a little slower than the iD14. The overall data is unclear, but with proper settings, it seems to be under the threshold of the perceivable 5ms, which makes it very comparable to iD 14.
Comparison
Both devices come with low-latency (under the generally perceivable threshold), while iD 14 is slightly faster, going as low as 1.6 ms.
4. Compatible devices and software features
If you plan to use your device with your laptop or other devices, you need to think about Windows or Mac software’s compatibility. Most of the audio interfaces include their particular software and are, for the most part, compatible with most DAW software.
Audient iD14
iD 14 comes with “scroll control” software. It offers you a volume encoder and adjustment of DAW hosts. It works on Windows and Mac, and it’s compatible with windows 7, 8, and 10, and with MAC 10.7 or higher.
Komplete Audio 6
It comes with many effects, sound libraries, DJ tools, and instruments to give you the best possible start in recording your music. Audio 6 works on Windows and Mac.
System requirements are the new windows 10 service pack or MAC 10.12 – 10.14 or the latest update.
You will need 3 GB of free space for “Maschine essentials” and an additional 1 GB of free disk space for other software.
Pros and cons of Audient iD 14
Pros
- Beautiful, elegant, and sturdy design
- quality sound resolution
- low latency
- two A grade preamplifiers
- bus-powered
- “scrollcontrol” software
- phase switching
- splendid digital converters
- intuitive software
- clear and quality sound.
Cons
- – no MIDI interface
- always powers up with muted outputs
- no talkback microphone
Pros and cons of Komplete Audio 6
Pros
- Beautiful and sturdy design
- high-quality sound resolution
- low latency
- MIDI interface
- two quality, powerful preamplifiers
- bus-powered
- 6 inputs / 6 outputs
- sound library and Dj functions
- independent level control for headphone output and the source switch.
Cons
- poor (or no) compatibility with USB 3.0 ports
- not appropriate for beginners
- can distort audio in rare cases, which can often be fixed by resetting it
Final verdict
Both of the interfaces have a sturdy design and a sleek, beautiful look. When it comes to elegance, iD 14 is the winner, with its elegant interface and rounded edges.
That does not mean that Audio 6 does not look good; it just looks a little more robust, which is not the case when it comes to weight, as it’s lighter. They both come with a 2.0 USB port and are bus-powered.
Komplete Audio 6 wins when it comes to the number of inputs and outputs and the MIDI interface, which is missing in iD 14. Moreover, Komplete Audio 6 has more plus points, and therefore, it is our winner.
Check out: Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 vs Komplete Audio 6 mk2
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