Electro-Voice Everse 8 8-inch 2-way Battery-powered PA Speaker - Black Reviews

I am so impressed with this little beast! The quality sound, versatility and high SPL capability, combined with the flawless app blow away the competition IMO (I bought and returned the Bose S1 Pro +, and tried the JBL, Mackie and others). I use my EV 8 for everything - solo work with keys, vocals and backing tracks, duos with keys, guitar and vocals, and as a monitor when playing with full bands. It is crystal clear, no distortion even at high volumes. I play a lot of left hand bass, and while you can find larger powered speakers with more thump, I have yet to find a better all-in-one solution than the Everse 8.

As always, Mac Hatton at Sweetwater is a joy to work with - knowledgeable, supportive and communicative!

I use this in small venues (adult care centers/nursing homes, etc.) for guitar and vocals, and it works quite well. After 4/5 months, I've yet to have a need to push it to really find how loud it can talk. (I do not use it in saloons, etc., as I prefer my RCF Jmix8 in those situations.) I can give a thought on the Everse 8 comparison to JBL Eon One, as I have both. If there is one curious difference, the Everse mixer has no gain control. Not a deal breaker, but I would prefer it. For me, the built in mixer on the Everse is easier to use, as I am not a fan of the curious light "meter" on the Eon One. Once connected, blue tooth has been stable, with the Everse always connecting the second time you turn on pairing mode (that is a curious phenomena.) Virtual mixer touch screen layout is nicely done. Perhaps the Everse 8 could use a bit more low end, but now with the Everse 12 on the market, I'd wager that addresses that issue. However, that really is not the mission of these wonderfully portable units. (Everse 8 near half the weight of the 30 odd lbs of the 12) The Everse has an XLR out that I prefer to the Eon 1/4' out. The F/X works for what I want it to do (reverb is all I want.) I've yet to put the battery to the ultimate test, as an hour and half is pretty much the time it has to work (At home, I do not rehearse w/it as I run into a mixer and sound out to headphones or small active speaker.)

As a sold out, diehard EV fan, I am sold on the reviews and the specs. I have waited for what has been described as I read every review word for word. Looking forward to this purchase. Not even thinking twice about what I'm expecting.
Thanks EV and thanks Sweetwater in advance.

I had been looking for a small portable acoustic guitar amp and general mini PA system for quite some time. It needs a bit of tweaking coming out of the gate,the app affords you many options to fine tune it, and then, absolutely amazing sound! Some of these battery powered amps are a little more friendly out of the gate. But it's absolutely worth the little time you invest in setting it up. It's a little expensive but worth every penny! I've used it for four,five hours and still had loads of battery left! I am very particular about my sound, and I wouldn't trade this baby up anytime in the foreseeable future!

So I am a super percussive acoustic performer, and play electric and sing in a band. I own 2 EV elx200 12s, a elx200 18, and 12 all powered.and notoriously brought at least a 12 and a sub to solo acoustic shows. I HATE the "Sub and Stick" set up... "line array" and I tried them all it's like if a smile face eq became a speaker.... no soul, no umph... and still some assembly required. This thing... this tiny 17 lb speaker, I've played 10 shows solo with just it and the app mixer, and used it 3 times as my monitor in the band. I'm thrilled and havnt even scratched the surface. Will it do it all, well probably not. But it will blow up all the sub/stick set ups, and the mixer is intuitive, Bluetooth has great range. And I just ordered a 2nd... I'm not bringing my old heavy 12s (not EVs) to a band show again as a monitor. I'm very very stoked.

The sound you get from the Everse 8 is fantastic for such a easy to carry and setup speaker.

The EV Everse8 is an extremely useful battery powered loudspeaker. I've used this many times for wedding ceremonies and remote cocktail hour locations.

The iPad app works really well to give a lot of control over a simple set up. PRO TIP: The iPad is also able to run the EV software side by side with their Music app so I can control the playlist as well as controlling the volume at the same time. No swapping back and forth between apps!

The Everse8 has a USB-C output to power the iPad and it also has a DC power output to power a wireless microphone receiver. The cable that comes with it is to power an EV receiver... but I use SHURE and it doesn't fit! I reached out for some help and discovered that all you need is a DC power cable that is 2.1mm on one end and 2.5mm on the other end. I got a pair of them for less than $8 online and my Shure ULXD single receiver powers as it should. It works flawlessly.

The plastic weather cover that comes with the speaker might not be useful during an event as it covers your XLR but I do find it useful during transportation. I arrived at an event early and the speaker battery was low. I store and transport the speaker in the official EV soft carry tote, something must have bumped the power switch on a long drive to an event. That could be a problem. With the hard plastic weather cover in place on the speaker, the power switch is protected from accidentally getting bumped on if another piece of gear is rubbing up against it.

I recommend this speaker and I'm looking for more ways to use it. The iPad app with EQ/Compressor/FX has me wanting to find some coffee shops to rent to that need a simple PA set up for singer/acc guitar performances. I'm happy with the sound, I'm happy with the features, I'm happy with my purchase. The more it gets used, the more I'll add to my inventory.

I hope this helps!
- Scott
Dallas Sound Guys

This thing is amazing. Has massive power. Just got it and already took it out to go busking. Ran a guitar plus an upright bass thru it. It sounded super clear with plenty of headroom to work with. Used it also for guitar alone and looping - spectacular sound. The built in effects such as reverb are descent. That's not what I got it for, and still happy with that aspect if ever need to use standing alone.

Using it for a portable Pandora speaker and for my Roland TD-17 set. Great sound and loud....for indoor and out. Plenty satisfied with the base, even with the drums and while not a 12" or 15" sub it offers everything I'm looking for. Not a chore to carry around like larger (hence heavier) speakers. Great balance of sound, battery and portability.

Definitely recommend!

I have been now for a while wanting to downsize my PA footprint to something smaller. I had a Bose S1 Pro, but it just wasn't doing it for me. When EV came out with the Everse 8, I decided to give it a whirl. I honestly had my doubts, but they were quickly put to rest once I got a chance to really open up these speakers to see what they do. There is no battery powered speaker on that market that can do what the Everse 8 can do. I was absolutely mind blown at the versatility, power, and professional sound quality I was getting from Everse 8. So clean, powerful, and just a breeze to use. I love it so much, I sold my Bose S1 Pro and bought a second Everse 8. I pair my two Everse 8's with my Bose Sub 1 and the sound quality is absolutely fabulous. For a micro PA, it's amazing! It all honesty, 90% of the time I don't have to be bother bringing a larger PA system because the Everse 8's perform so well.

Plenty of headroom for playing guitar and singing my loud 90's rock songs with backing tracks. Also use it for drum monitoring and band practice through a 10-channel mixer with a sub. The mobile app and the ability to configure the speaker remotely is the biggest selling point of this speaker, other than it being able to run on batteries. I can tweak speaker volume and other settings while sitting behind my drum kit or while I'm behind the microphone during a live solo performance. I use it alongside a subwoofer in my home studio, so it pairs really well with that, but does have some decent low end on its own as well that is good for small busking gigs. My most favorite feature of the app is being able to store and recall custom speaker settings. I have 1 preset for when I'm using it for solo gigs in "mixer" mode, and another preset for when I'm using it for band practice in "basic" mode. I also stored a separate preset for a friend of mine who performed with an acoustic guitar and needed different settings than I needed. Very sturdy, high quality construction and the handle on top is very nice. I also just love how light and compact it is too and that it also works without the battery inserted when plugged into AC power.

Outstanding!!!

This lil thing will blow your mind when it comes to the output! I just pulled off a wedding ceremony outdoors next to a dam for a wedding of under 100 guests outdoors next to a dam! Nobody complained and it was more than loud enough to hear the officiant, bride and groom, speeches, scripture readings, and music! I'm telling you don't waste your time and just buy it!

Love it, does everything I need it to do and sounds better than some of the more prominent competition.

I've been looking for a while for a battery powered speaker to use as a spare monitor, outdoor/no power event, small gig portable for my solo and duo shows. Josh Hacker at Sweetwater suggested trying the Everse as I already have the Evolve system so was familiar with the mixing app. I only ordered one and used it along side a 10 inch powered Yamaha speaker last week for a patio gig - I was hoping it would sound as good as the Yamaha but it actually was better. I still used a Mackie mixer as we had duo vocals and one guitar but as a solo artist it would work great without having to bring along a mixer or preamp. The sound was amazing, crisp and clear with enough bottom end. It's light and we performed for 3 hours and the battery indicator was showing 75% charged at the end. If you use a wireless mic or Xvive and guitar signal you could be completely cord free! I'm ordering another this week! Have been using EV and Yamaha speakers for years and find them dependable workhorses - this little speaker sounds excellent and while I didn't compare it to the JBL, Bose, or Mackie, I've read enough reviews and trusted my Sweetwater rep to steer me into this speaker. No, it's not cheap but also has other advantages including being somewhat weather proof and has Bluetooth for streaming music!

I am in wheelchair and I sing on the streets in Nashville. I have now sung over 2,000 songs through it. Had the Bose first. Not even comparable anymore, and Bose has no digital control. I have the Everse mounted on my wheelchair. I go to court on 5/24 for singing too loud. So that says it all.

Small speaker big sound!! Recomended sound excelent. Thank Ivan Salazar

Pound for pound, baddest EV i've owned. Its like an EKX 15 had offspring and fed it gunpowder!

First off so I do not forget Sweetwater has taken great care of me over the years with many, many purchases and Drew Foster my sales rep is crazy good with follow up and with getting me connected with the right people on staff to get any question answered or the best advice when I am trying to figure out something on an existing piece of equipment or to get properly informed before buying a new piece.

So I have bought 2 Everse 8's so far to go along with a pair of S1 Pro's I also own and have sold off my EV 12p stage monitors and have gone to all of these small footprint stage monitors that dont need to be plugged or unplugged since they run on battery , opens up space in my car and on stage and opens up the world to plying places with no power or continuing if power is lost. I transport a pair of ev 18" subs , a pair of QSC 12.2 mains , a gig bar 2, 6 other rgb individual lights , a pair of rgb vertical fog machines,a 16 channel and 12 channel back up yamaha mixers,a bands worth of mics and mic stands etc , precussion instruments a lot of stuff...in a subaru outback to gigs nearly every weekend, the smaller size is a relief and these have plenty of power to do stage monitoring duty. I also do solo acoustic in some remote places with no power including an island stage that i get gear to via canoe and i am not lacking for firepower. The amount of adjustments both on screen and through the phone app are astounding way more versatile to dial in your sound on both vocal and instrument channels than the bose which is still a great speaker but it has been out 5 years or so , its like ev had a bunch of busy gigging bose s1 using artists give feedback on how to improve on a great little speaker and took all that advice and applied it perfectly ! one of my biggest pet peeves with the bose is the feeling of the handle, it is awkward and hard to feel like you have a secure grip, I have to traverse a steep cliff to get to my island stage on a cliff, when i picked up the everse for the first time I knew right there they had paid attention! As I am writing this review yesterday I helped a female solo artist friend at a gig who has been battling some sound issues with not the smallest bose line array with tower the next size up using a yamaha board as well, I was able to get her ghosts ironed out, she has good equipment, but in the time between getting her sound dialed and her gig start I said humor me and lets get your guitar and vocals through my everse for a quick test drive , she sang a couple bars and stopped and said you have got to be kidding me ! blown away with how awesome she sounded through this simple little speaker , she also plays keys but can only play one at a time lol , we are gonig to try her keys and guitar into an a/b switch and she can buy an everse and sell the bulky line array and mixer ,simple simple simple

It has a power and sound quality that exceeds my expectations. I recommend this speaker 100%. I have QSC and RCF speakers and this one is a beast for being so small. I take it with me everywhere and I can form a party for 100 people with just one.

I got this for use mainly as an amp for my Taylor 612CE, but use it as a Bluetooth speaker and small PA also. Reverb and EQ is great and I like that you can save presets for any guitar, location or setup. Although guitar amps have dedicated knobs the EV app on my phone is super easy to use to make needed adjustments. I also got the EV carry bag which is also high quality and has enough extra space for cables and accessories; I always have extra stuff. Very satisfied with the Everse8.

I was motivated to look at this speaker as a compact rehearsal keyboard amp. I've been using another popular brand for the past few years, and while they sound great, I'd like something lighter to carry. Ordered the Everse to test out, and have been very satisfied so far. The weight savings are certainly there, and the sound quality is really good. There is still a bit of tweaking to do on the sound, but the app makes it incredibly easy, and I'll be using it for gigs as well as rehearsals.

I'd say they're a bit warmer than what I've been using, and they project very well into the audience. Lows are impressive for a box this small (but won't replace your subwoofer), midrange is solid and well rounded, and the highs are clear without being piercing. At the moment, I'm hard pressed to come up with drawbacks.

If you're looking at the EV ZXA-1 powered speaker, the Everse provides more flexibility regarding inputs and customization, and is a bit easier to carry. If you're in the market for a powered PS speaker as a keyboard amp, these are worth solid consideration.

Being a keys player, I'm not necessarily EV's target market on this, and I doubt I'll ever run it on battery, so I can't comment on that part. That said, it's got great potential as a portable amp or monitor for keyboard players.

I purchased this from a pro-audio store as I could trade in my Bose S1Pro for it. Sweetwater's Gear Exchange seems a great place but it was far easier to just walk in to a store, trade-in, and walk out with the Everse8. The S1Pro has nice rich sound but the volume from a direct mic input is pretty pathetic. I was forced to use a mixer with it. Anyhow, here is my experience with the steep learning curve that I had to go through with the Everse8.

At first I simply connected my cellphone by Bluetooth and played a variety of music from Spotify. I was so disappointed and upset with the poor and somewhat muddy sound quality that I packed it back in its box and was planning to return it!!! Then I got an insight, to just connect the phone using a high quality 3.5 mm cable, and I pulled it back out of the box. Wow, the sound was so much better. I then spent a couple of hours tweaking various EQ settings and found out how amazing a speaker it really is. Once the EQ is done right, even music via Bluetooth sounds very good. Outstanding microphone vocal tonal quality, amazing sound volume output, and backing instrumentals for karaoke are excellent too after EQ adjustments. But it needs a pro as amateurs will likely get frustrated with it because it is so sophisticated and next-generation. It has a choice of GEQ or PEQ (what the heck is that, I thought at first!) but I didn't dare fool with PEQ, and just used GEQ. The built-in reverbs are so flexible, with a long list of choices; the "Soft Room" is my favorite. These PA speakers are NOT meant to be just glorious Bluetooth speakers, I've learned that now! You just can't get the fidelity you can get from a great Bluetooth speaker or soundbar with a subwoofer. On the other hand, there is no way you can use a microphone with one of those! The QuickSmart app is superb but a bit slow (about 30 seconds or so) in loading up. One thing I love is that the app works independently from Bluetooth audio. The speaker is a gem. And no more getting frustrated with a weak mic preamp like with the S1Pro!! In summary, I am just delighted with moving up to this speaker from my Bose S1Pro.

It's another level speaker

I was looking for keyboard gig/monitor solution for over a year and tried a lot of different products. Most were either too heavy, awkward to carry, lack of EQ controls, lousy sound - too bottom heavy, etc. My sales guy, Geoff Allen (who is totally awesome of course), worked with me to try different things and listened to me whine about every little thing. I have two keyboards I use on a regular basis, so I wanted at least two inputs, and having a 3 band or better EQ was a requirement.

The Everse 8 has a nice little mobile app to manage EQ and other settings without having to go to the back of the speaker to manage settings in the little display with a knob. This thing puts out a very clear and strong sound without even tweaking the EQ. I tested organs with heavy bottom end along with various pianos that had great mid and high range clarity. Volume in the room was great. Of course it's not intended to be a large venue amp, but I'm adding a second unit to provide additional power plus ability to set up across wide stages so the other half of the band can hear me - and that 2nd unit can be controlled from the app if they want more or less volume from me.

At 16 pounds, these are amazing and easy to carry around for small gigs and easy to expand for larger ones. Easy to send signal to a house system too using XLR or 1/4".

I own the Bose S1 Pro and the JBL EON One Compact. It I am really enjoying the Everse so far. It may be my favorite! Check out my videos about it on my YouTube channel!

I needed a battery powered PA speaker for a couple things. I needed something for a little busking, but more importantly, when I coached oustide, I needed something I could hook up a wireless mic to it. The main options were the Bose S1 Pro (which I did like (I know people's gripes with Bose but their Pro stuff I've enjoyed enough) but required extra equipment for the mic, because of a lack of phantom power), the Mackie Thump Go (which ran quieter when on battery power), the JBL Eon One (which I feel like it sounds muddled, though I know JBL are popular with some folks), and the Roland BA-330 (which I liked but weighed double which was a pain.

On paper this is thing is a beast. It helps that it comes out 4-5 years after the S1 pro, but the fact that it's a little bigger and weight about the same, and it has things like the phantom power on one input, an extra input for a mixer, and it has the DC 12V, which adds co much versatility to the wireless mic choices. You have to kind of have your own cabling for the 12V power, because their cables aren't out yet, but it helps so much for what I needed. Being able to bring one fewer piece of equipment seals the deal for me.

It sounds good enough when playing music, but the clarity when mic-ed up was great for me. It cut through, even with a line speaker array going at the same time. The low end is a little weak, but that's the sacrifice you make with battery power. All the options have the same problem with the low end, but this spoke more than the Bose and JBL. I love that EV came out with this, and I think mobile DJ setups, and mobile PA needs will just eat this up. It's only been a few days, but I love this thing. It fixes all the things I didn't like about the other options, and but the pros into one package.

Nothing to complain about. Used almost daily for 50-75 ppl outdoors for workouts and group events in the PNW, and the weather resistance has held up through a many rainy mornings over the past few cold/wet months. For me, the Everse 8 slightly wins over my EXM Mobile 8 due to the Everse 8's weather resistance and user swappable battery. I do slightly prefer the Mobile 8's sound over the Everse 8's sound, but the Mobile 8's lack of weather resistance keeps it parked indoors to the point that I'd be fine without it.

I bought 2 and I used my vocal mic and my Crumar organ synth which has 2 outs for stereo.
The sound is nice but I was somewhat disappointed with the features that go with the app. Hopefully the EV will do an update soon.

The "link audio" does not link one mic input to both speakers but they indicate in the instructions the app will connect 6 speakers --but again - this needs to be user friendly so it's disappointing at this time. So this means when I use a vocal mic into 1 speaker, the vocal sound doesn't connect to the 2nd speaker, so again just like with my organ, I had to run separate inputs to each speaker. So, what is "link audio" for? There's no description and the site does not have a user forum.

When using iPhone bluetooth for channel 3/4 stereo connect, it doesn't always link up easily either, and the instructions are again not chelpful for when it doesn't work -I use "link speaker" but it's a pain because it has to be done from the back of the speaker before the app is on and it takes time and doesn't always work.

I'm happy with the battery , one of reasons to purchase was to get power cords off the floor and setup my organ speakers in nice stereo- but let's get it together, I spent $ for 2 and no updates, no forum, wondering if they will issue a new model with better features when they should really work on this one because it could be better now if they do it right. It does get loud and the clarity is really great.

I bought one a month after launch and used it through a whole year and it decided to crash and never turn on again back in October of last year. I sent it in to be fixed and these units CANNOT Be Worked on as when you break the silicone seal the units purpose is useless! EV though has Fantastic support as they sent me a new one 2 weeks ago. This was after they received it in November after my tech looked it over to tell me it CANNOT be worked on.

Bluetooth is IFFY at times when it works it is great, but if you are outside and it is windy (midwest in fall, always is windy) It doesn't work properly.

Mixer on board is ok could be better, but it works well with the app.

Wireless Microphone port is the biggest downfall as they require you to use EV Microphone system instead universal (proprietary i get it), but you can get around it with making your own chord for it(I suggest testing on a system that you don't use anymore as we lost a microphone to this when we had NLFX make one) or XVIVE transmitter, or other avenues that you use to do it.

Overall I love the portability to this unit and sound quality is solid for for the unit. Price is to high for the quality of product, but that is what you get when you purchase a name brand product. The Company though has a fantastic Warranty program which makes up for the high price.

Sweetwater needs to change this system so that earlier reviews can be updated.

My earlier review was one star and titled "Unreliable and unusable". My primary compliant in that review was that the firmware had a serious glitch/flaw that made this device useless for those of us that want to use it in "busking mode". You can read that full review as it is still posted. The good news is that the firmware has finally been updated (early 2024) and the firmware flaws I referred to in my review appear to have been fully fixed. So that is great. It shouldn't have taken 9 months to accomplish, but better late than never.

My complaint about the bluetooth remains. I've tested it on two different units, so I know the problem isn't isolated. Connecting to bluetooth is absolutely insane and colossally frustrating. It works when it feels like it and on days when it's not in the mood, it just isn't going to happen no matter what you do. You can try different devices (phone, tablet, etc) and you can try "controlled pairing" from the Everse. When it doesn't feel like connecting, just walk away from it. I tried over 40 times one day, and it never would connect. A couple days later, connects first try. And for reference, I use the Everse in a "system" with an EV30 column. The EV30 bluetooth never misfires. That's what makes this so frustrating. The EV30 connects, but the Everse won't so I'll have app control for one but not the other. The Everse is handy to monitor from when used with the EV30, but having no control over its volume (other than to flip it over and spin the dial on the back) is not ideal. Yeah, bluetooth is sketchy on a lot of deiveces. We'll all seen. Wish that wasn't the case on this device.

Good speaker if you already have a mixer , but that defeats the reasons for batery power
The mixer and efx are so so just ok

This is a good product and lots of sound ? BUT! I just think the Bose L1-pro has it beat in overall sound and the Bose best weapon !
Is the automatic EQ that adjust to the room automatically. Bose will launch an upgrade to the S1-Pro with a big brother version similar to
The Everse that will have 5-6 drivers and perhaps a 10 inch woofer it's going to get interesting ! if you're happy with the EV which again is good P.A. then stick with it .

They would kill the competition with REAL 4 CHANNEL MIXER. I absolutely despise counting a stereo channel 2 channels or counting a "tape input" as a channel.
More often than not. When 2 people are playing. There's a need for 2 vocal and two instruments.
Be the first to make a portable speaker that is actually usable for 2 musicians and you'll blow away the competition.

Quick dose of reality guys. It's a point source speaker with a battery attached. It comes with a limited stereo mixer but cant transfer the mix to a stereo pair with its "true wireless" connectivity, only the Bluetooth stream? Wow WTF?

A k8.2 with a velcro battery packs would have twice the power and better sound. So the only reason for the $ price tag is to compete with the Bose S1 .. which uses the Bose proprietary sound dispersion design you either love or hate. Say what you will but that tech has always come with a premium. So EV comes along. .takes a typical point source speaker.. tosses a battery in it with a little more oomph in power over the Bose but certainly doesn't compete with just about any other point source speaker with a battery pack.

So let this sink in.. this should be a $ small battery operated point source speaker but since they marketed it against the "overpriced" Bose. They are charging $ and most are falling for it. I am a fan of the EV 30m and 50m series, but even they don't even come close to column systems like the LD curve for sound, clarity, dispersion, etc. and the LD products are cheaper pound for pound.. although limited in support. Think about it? Also, how come a Harbinger MXL900 for $ bucks can seamlessly transfer the integrated mixer stereo channels wirelessly without cables but EV's "True wireless" doesnt work with the mixer.. So much for the wireless stereo PA idea for any performers out there? HUGE FAIL.. its is seriously the stupidest thing i have seen in awhile as far as design flaws lol. Good luck. Yeah it sounds good for streaming in stereo but this ain't a $ speaker period.. and at that price point.. covers are sold separately.. Really?

This device can or will be great one day, but the current firmware has a massive glitch that EV is aware of (June 2023). That flaw is in firmware 1.1.2/1.1.0. Once you are on that firmware there is no way to go back and it is unclear to me if parts or all of this problem were in the previous firmware anyway. My Sweetwater rep has been in contact with EV and they are aware of all of this…

In short, like other such EV units (e.g, Evolve 30m which I own, Evolve 50, etc), you can store 5 presets with different gain, eq, etc. settings. I keep a preset for when the Everse8 is connected to the Evolve30, another for stand-alone as a busking amp, another for playing MP3s, and another for a 2nd mic/guitar combo for busking. First problem (which I thoroughly documented on video and shared with Sweetwater and EV) is that any gain setting above 10 gets reset to 0 each time you power cycle or change presets. On this device, mics and guitars need to be set way above 10 (guitar around 22, mic around 32). So each time you use this thing, you must reset the gain levels from 0 to, in my case, 22 and 32. Not ideal to be messing with in a live situation, but can be done. But this is far worse…
This device has a Parametric EQ (PEQ). It is colossally useful and way better than the 7 band Graphic EQ. But, something in the PEQ sets off a bomb that is equivalent to a full operating system crash that also decimates all of your settings, on all of the presets. Once this crash happens, it's unstable and unusable until you do a full device reset. I don't know what else might cause this crash other than PEQ, but I'm not keeping this thing long enough to find out because I sure don't want to see it happen mid-gig.

BTW, If you've ever used PEQ, you'll know you can spend a lot of time tweaking one. But you really can get better sound than with a Graphic EQ. Plan on kissing all that time and effort goodbye every once in a while when a crash happens.

I also find it weak that there is no way to back up your settings. This is a USB device and it downloads firmware when connected to the app. Every USB device I own (a dozen pedals, a Fender Mustang amp, and a 15 year old Line6 XTLive, are capable of backing up your settings to PC or the Cloud. It's hard to believe that the EV ecosystem can't do that.

So, this device is useless at present. EV has known of the first issue for months now and hasn't fixed it. Look for some code that says "if gain >10, reset to 0" and put out a new firmware version. What's the hold up? Since its taken this long to address that, I suspect a very long wait regarding the PEQ/system crash issue. One Star for now as it's impossible to use live and a huge time waster even if you just use it at home. Five Stars if/when they fix these issues. Stayed tuned as I'll update this if things change, but for now, stay away.