Aviom vs Behringer Powerplay P16: 5 Key Differences

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Aviom vs Behringer Powerplay P16 is one of the most common questions that comes up once a band or venue decides personal monitor mixing is worth investing in. Both systems solve the same fundamental problem — giving every performer independent control over their own monitor mix — but they take meaningfully different approaches to get there, at meaningfully different price points.

This guide breaks down the real differences in architecture, features, cost, and complexity between the two systems, building on what we covered in our complete Behringer Powerplay P16 guide. If you haven’t read that piece yet, it covers the Powerplay system’s architecture in depth — this article focuses specifically on how Aviom compares.

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The Short Answer

Aviom vs Behringer Powerplay P16 comes down to a simple tradeoff: Aviom is the more refined, more expensive, more feature-rich system with Dante networking integration and an interface most pro touring engineers already know. The Behringer Powerplay P16 delivers comparable core functionality — independent personal mixing, low-latency digital distribution, per-channel EQ — at a significantly more accessible price point using a simpler network architecture.

For working bands, churches, and small-to-mid-size venues operating on a real budget, the Powerplay P16 is the more practical choice. For large-scale touring productions, recording studios with high-end clients, or situations where Dante network integration is already part of your infrastructure, Aviom’s more polished ecosystem may justify the premium.

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What Aviom Actually Is

Aviom has been the established name in personal monitor mixing for longer than Behringer’s Powerplay system has existed, and that history shows in how mature and refined the ecosystem is. Aviom’s current lineup centers on two personal mixer models and a distribution module that connects everything together.

Aviom A320 — Entry to Mid-Tier Personal Mixer

The A320 is Aviom’s current mainstream personal mixer, replacing the long-running A-16II as the standard entry point into the Aviom ecosystem. It supports a 32-channel mix engine with 16 mono or stereo mix channel buttons, individual volume controls, and Aviom’s signature Stereo Placement controls for positioning sources in the stereo field of a performer’s in-ear mix. It’s Dante-compatible and must be connected to an A-Net Distributor to operate — it isn’t a standalone unit.

Aviom A360 — Flagship Personal Mixer

The A360 is Aviom’s premium personal mixer, designed specifically around the needs of in-ear monitor users rather than as a general-purpose monitoring tool. It includes features the A320 doesn’t: dedicated master Bass, Treble, and Enhance tone controls specifically tuned for IEM frequency response, per-channel reverb to restore a sense of natural space that in-ears can lack, One Touch Ambience for blending in room mic signal, four Instant Mix Recall presets plus sixteen standard presets, and compatibility with a companion iOS app (A360 Display) that gives performers a fuller visual overview of their mix.

The A360 also supports Aviom’s BOOM tactile transducer system — essentially a bass shaker that lets performers physically feel low-end the way they would standing in front of a floor wedge, which is one of the more clever solutions to a real complaint IEM users have about losing that physical sensation.

Aviom Distribution Modules: D800 and D400

Aviom’s distribution hardware comes in a couple of variants depending on what your front-of-house setup looks like. The D800 and D800-Dante distribute power and audio to up to 8 personal mixers over standard CAT5e cable — functionally similar to Behringer’s P16-D, though Aviom’s version also supports Network Mix Back, which sends a digital copy of each performer’s mix back to the distributor for routing to wireless in-ear transmitters without extra analog cabling.

The D400 and D400-Dante serve a similar role but are built around Dante network integration specifically — the D400-Dante in particular allows up to 32 channels to be patched directly from an existing Dante audio network without needing a separate analog input module or console card, which is a meaningful convenience for venues that have already standardized on Dante for their broader audio infrastructure.

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5 Key Differences Between Aviom and Behringer Powerplay P16

1. Network Architecture: Dante vs Ultranet

This is the most fundamental technical difference between the two systems. Aviom’s current product line is built heavily around Dante — the industry-standard audio-over-IP networking protocol used widely in professional touring, broadcast, and fixed installation audio. If your venue or production already runs Dante for other parts of its audio infrastructure, Aviom’s native integration is a genuine advantage — no protocol conversion needed, and the personal monitoring system becomes just another set of devices on your existing network.

Behringer’s Powerplay system uses Ultranet, its own proprietary digital audio protocol over standard CAT5e cable. It’s simpler conceptually — there’s no broader network to manage, no IP addressing, no routing configuration — but it also doesn’t integrate with a Dante ecosystem the way Aviom does. For most working bands and small venues that aren’t running a Dante network for anything else, this difference is largely academic. For larger productions or installations already invested in Dante, it’s a real consideration.

2. Cost: A Significant Gap

This is where the practical decision usually gets made. Aviom personal mixers and distribution hardware carry a meaningfully higher price than their Powerplay equivalents — often by a significant margin per unit, which compounds quickly once you’re equipping a five or six piece band with individual mixers.

For a band building out personal monitoring on a working musician’s budget, the cost difference between a full Aviom system and a full Powerplay system can be the difference between affording the upgrade this year versus saving for another year or two. The Powerplay P16’s accessibility is arguably its single biggest competitive advantage.

3. Feature Depth on the Flagship Personal Mixer

Comparing the Aviom A360 specifically against the Behringer P16-HQ, Aviom’s flagship unit has genuinely more sophisticated features built specifically around IEM use — the tuned master tone controls, per-channel reverb, tactile transducer support, and the companion app all represent a more mature, IEM-specific feature set than the P16-HQ’s more general-purpose 3-band EQ and level/pan controls.

Whether this matters to you depends on how much you value those specific features. A working band that just wants independent control over basic level and tone for each source may not miss what Aviom’s A360 adds. A touring vocalist who’s particular about exactly how their in-ears feel and sound may find the A360’s additional refinement genuinely worth the price difference.

4. Industry Familiarity and Touring Standard

Aviom has a longer history and a more established reputation specifically in professional touring and high-end worship production. Engineers who’ve worked in those environments are more likely to already know Aviom’s interface and workflow. This matters most in situations where the system operator changes frequently — guest engineers, rotating volunteer teams, or rental gear that gets used by different crews.

The Behringer Powerplay P16, while increasingly common, doesn’t carry the same decades-long institutional familiarity. For a band that owns its own gear and uses the same people every show, this is a non-issue. For a venue or production that regularly works with outside engineers, it’s worth factoring in.

5. Ecosystem Complexity and Scalability

Both systems scale to large channel counts and many performers, but Aviom’s ecosystem — particularly with Dante integration — is built to scale into genuinely large, complex productions: multiple stages, broadcast integration, recording while mixing monitors, and large worship productions with choir and orchestra. The Powerplay P16 scales well for its intended audience (up to 48 personal mixers with full expansion) but is fundamentally designed and priced for bands, churches, and small-to-mid venues rather than large-scale touring or broadcast production.

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Factor	Aviom	Behringer Powerplay P16
Network Protocol	Dante / A-Net	Ultranet (proprietary)
Entry Personal Mixer	A320	P16-HQ
Flagship Personal Mixer	A360 (IEM-tuned features)	P16-HQ (same unit, no tier)
Per-Channel Reverb	Yes (A360)	No
Tactile Bass Feedback	Yes (BOOM system)	No
Companion App	Yes (A360 Display, iOS)	No
Mixers per Distributor	8 (D800/D400)	6 (P16-I) / +8 per P16-D
Relative Cost	Significantly higher	More accessible
Industry Familiarity	Very high (touring standard)	Growing, less established
Best For	Touring, large productions, Dante installs	Bands, churches, small-mid venues

Which System Should You Choose?

Choose Behringer Powerplay P16 If:

You’re a working band or small venue on a real budget, you don’t already have a Dante network to integrate with, you want straightforward functional personal mixing without needing the deepest possible IEM-specific tone shaping, and you’re equipping multiple performers where the per-unit cost adds up quickly. For most readers of this site, this describes your situation — our complete Behringer Powerplay P16 guide covers the full system setup in detail.

Choose Aviom If:

You’re working in or building toward a Dante-integrated audio infrastructure, you’re a touring or high-end production environment where engineer familiarity with industry-standard gear matters, your performers are particular enough about their in-ear experience that features like per-channel reverb and tactile bass feedback are worth paying for, or budget is less of a constraint than getting the most refined possible monitoring experience.

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How Either System Fits Into Your Live Sound Setup

Regardless of which personal monitoring system you choose, the fundamentals of good live sound don’t change. Gain staging at the source still determines how clean the signal is that reaches each performer’s personal mix — our guide to gain staging for live sound covers getting this right before it ever reaches a personal mixer.

Both systems pair naturally with in-ear monitors as the listening device at the end of the chain. Our guide to the best in-ear monitors for musicians covers wired and wireless options across every budget, and our guide on how to set up in-ear monitors for small bands covers the practical setup process.

And the entire reason personal monitoring systems exist is to solve the problems covered in our guide on why monitor mixing gets hard in live sound — if you haven’t read that piece, it’s the foundational context for understanding why systems like Aviom and the Powerplay P16 are worth considering in the first place.

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Final Thoughts

Aviom vs Behringer Powerplay P16 isn’t really a question of which system is “better” in the abstract — it’s a question of which system matches your budget, your infrastructure, and how much refinement you actually need. Aviom is the more mature, more feature-rich, more expensive ecosystem built for environments where that investment makes sense. The Powerplay P16 delivers the core value proposition — independent personal monitor mixing — at a price point that makes the upgrade realistic for working bands and small venues.

For most readers of this site, the Powerplay P16 is going to be the practical choice. If your situation involves touring, Dante infrastructure, or performers who need the most refined possible in-ear experience, Aviom’s premium is a legitimate investment rather than an unnecessary expense.

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Frequently Asked Questions