jats:p The defining feature of high-entropy alloys (HEAs) is their unprecedented degree of compositional inhomogeneity which influences their dislocation movements. We demonstrate differences between a HEA (Fejats:sub40</jats:sub>Mnjats:sub40</jats:sub>Cojats:sub10</jats:sub>Crjats:sub10</jats:sub>) and a conventional solution alloy (316L stainless steel) using acoustic emission (AE) spectroscopy. AE measurements under tension show the coexistence of two avalanche processes in Fejats:sub40</jats:sub>Mnjats:sub40</jats:sub>Cojats:sub10</jats:sub>Crjats:sub10</jats:sub> HEA, whereby one avalanche process relates to the movement of dislocations and the other to detwinning/twinning processes. These two avalanche processes exhibit two branches of the E ∼ Ajats:sup2</jats:sup> correlation. The dislocation movements in Fejats:sub40</jats:sub>Mnjats:sub40</jats:sub>Cojats:sub10</jats:sub>Crjats:sub10</jats:sub> HEA show systematically longer durations compared with the equivalent dislocation movements in the 316L stainless steel and a bias toward faster waiting times for subsequent dislocation movements. The aftershock rate, as identified by the Omori law, is the same for the two materials. </jats:p>