This is a GEN 1 Apollo x8p. Buyers have asked, so here is the proof, and the serial number label is photographed in this listing so you can check it yourself.

HOW THE GENERATION IS CONFIRMED

Serial number: 18342017001513. Universal Audio date-codes the first four digits as year and week — 18 34 means 2018, week 34 (late August 2018).

The rear label reads UAD-2 APOLLO X8p with no Gen 2 designation anywhere on the unit. Gen 2 units are marked.

FCC ID on the label: R-REM-UAO-APOLLOX8p — the Gen 1 filing.

Universal Audio did not announce the Apollo X Gen 2 series until August 2024, six years after this unit was manufactured. A 2018 unit cannot be a Gen 2.

If you were looking specifically for a Gen 2, this is not that unit. I would rather tell you now than have it show up and disappoint you.

WHAT YOU ARE BUYING — READ THIS LIST

Included: the Apollo x8p unit and the original Universal Audio power adapter. That is the complete contents.

NOT included — original box. It does not exist anymore. The unit will be packed in a new box with foam and double-boxed for shipping.

NOT included — Thunderbolt cable. You will need to supply your own Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4 cable. UA never shipped one with this unit and I do not have a spare.

NOT included — UAD plugin licenses. See below. This is the single most common misunderstanding on used Apollos, so please read it.

NOT included — rack ears hardware or rack screws.

TESTED, NOT GUESSED

I passed signal through all eight Unison mic preamps individually, both front-panel Hi-Z instrument inputs, and the monitor section. Everything functions. This is not a powers-on-untested unit — it was checked channel by channel before it was listed.

WHAT IT IS

The Apollo x8p is Universal Audio's 8-preamp Thunderbolt 3 rackmount interface built around HEXA Core UAD-2 DSP. It is the workhorse of a lot of professional tracking rooms.

8 Unison mic preamps — Unison changes the actual impedance and gain staging of the input stage to match the emulated preamp (Neve, API, Manley, UA 610 and others). This is the reason people buy the x8p over the standard x8.

8 line inputs and 2 front-panel Hi-Z instrument inputs

HEXA Core UAD-2 DSP for tracking through UAD plugins with near-zero latency

24-bit / up to 192 kHz conversion, 129 dB dynamic range on the monitor outputs

Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, expandable to multiple Apollo units

Built-in talkback mic and monitor control

Standard 1U rackmount

CONDITION

Used, in good working order, out of a working studio. This is a 2018 unit, not a mint collector piece, and I am not going to describe it as one. It carries normal rack wear — minor cosmetic marks on the chassis and rack ears from being racked and unracked. The cosmetics are exactly what the photos show. If you want a closer look at any surface, message me and I will photograph it before you buy.

PLEASE READ BEFORE BUYING

UAD plugin licenses do NOT transfer. They are tied to the original owner's UA account. You get the hardware and the DSP; the bundled plugin licenses stay with the original registration. This is Universal Audio's policy, not mine, and it applies to every used Apollo on the market. Anyone telling you otherwise is not being straight with you.

Thunderbolt 3 required. Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt-capable USB-C ports work. It will NOT run over plain USB-C. Older Macs with Thunderbolt 2 need an Apple Thunderbolt 3-to-2 adapter, sold separately. Please confirm your machine has a Thunderbolt port before you buy — an incompatible computer is not a defect in the unit.

TERMS OF SALE

Sold as-is, in the condition described above and shown in the photos. Returns are not accepted for buyer's remorse — changed your mind, found one cheaper, decided you wanted a Gen 2, your computer turned out not to have Thunderbolt. Please satisfy yourself on every point BEFORE you commit.

I will be straight with you about what that does and does not mean, because I would rather set expectations honestly than hide behind boilerplate. A no-returns policy covers remorse. It does not override eBay's Money Back Guarantee if an item genuinely arrives damaged or materially different from how it was described. Nothing a seller writes can override that, and any listing claiming otherwise is bluffing. I have described this unit as precisely as I know how — generation verified by serial, contents itemized, exclusions listed, function tested channel by channel — specifically so that situation never arises.

Ask me anything before you buy. I answer messages the same day. If you want a photo of a specific angle, connector, or mark, tell me and you will have it. Ten minutes of questions now beats a dispute later for both of us.

SHIPPING

Free shipping within the United States. Ships within 3 business days of cleared payment from La Jolla, California. Double-boxed with foam, fully insured, tracking provided.

International buyers: shipping is calculated at checkout and paid by you. Any customs duties, import taxes, VAT or brokerage fees are your responsibility and are not included in the price or the shipping cost. Please check your country's import rules on audio equipment before bidding.

Do not accept a package that arrives visibly crushed or damaged — photograph it before opening and contact me immediately so we can file the insurance claim together.