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A practical comparison of AVB, Dante, AES50 and AES67: what they do, where compatibility matters and what to check before specifying an AV network.
AVB, Dante, AES50 and AES67 appear in professional audio specifications, but they are not interchangeable labels for the same network. When designing distributed audio, first identify the sources, destinations, channel counts and supported interfaces on the actual equipment.
| Technology | Role in a system | Check before specifying |
|---|---|---|
| AVB | A family of Ethernet standards for time-sensitive media transport. | Endpoint profiles and suitable AVB-capable network infrastructure. |
| Dante | A networked-audio platform used by compatible products from multiple manufacturers. | Channel capacity, firmware, clocking, routing and the required switch configuration. |
| AES50 | A digital-audio interconnection commonly used between compatible consoles and stage equipment. | Manufacturer compatibility and topology. An RJ45 socket does not mean it connects through a normal IP network switch. |
| AES67 | An interoperability standard for high-performance audio over IP. | Actual implementation, supported modes and stream discovery/configuration on both endpoints. |
Dante's support documentation states that AES67 support varies by device. An AES67 setting is not a universal bridge to every AVB or AES50 system. Confirm the manufacturer's supported signal path, any required interface and the firmware on both sides before purchasing equipment.
Reference: Dante's AES67 interoperability guidance.
Draw the source-to-destination routes, including interfaces, switches and any separate control network. Document clocking, multicast requirements where applicable, resilience, bandwidth and access for support. These settings are equipment-specific; a generic switch configuration should not be copied into a live installation without checking the design.
Our AV design and consultancy service can help coordinate the system interfaces. For a residential brief, also explore home audiovisual installation.
An Allen & Heath DT168 can supply inputs to an SQ mixer fitted with an SQ Dante 64×64 option card. The DT168 and card both support 48 or 96 kHz; configure matching network sample rates and the required clocking, then make the Dante subscriptions and patch the mixer input channels. The mixer’s SLink socket is a different interface.
| Microphone → analogue input on DT168 |
| ↓ Dante Primary network port |
| Dante network connection Appropriately configured Ethernet infrastructure where a switch is used |
| ↓ Matching sample rate, clocking and channel subscription |
| SQ Dante 64×64 card → patched SQ input channel |
Check the DT168 product documentation, SQ Dante card specification and SQ/Dante setup guidance. A device with an RJ45-shaped connector can use a different transport: identify the labelled port and supported route before connecting it.
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