| Product: |
Allen & Heath Xone:32 |
| Date: |
10.03.08 (73 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Sound quality, VCF filter, build
Disadvantages: Channel gains on the back of the unit, only three channels
This review is based on my experiences with the Xone:32. It is not an in depth look at its specification as this is readily available from the Allen & heath website.
I bought this mixer about a year or so ago and it has been a faithful companion to me since It arrived on my doorstep. I bought it for £427 from djstore.com. This review is a comparison between the major sub-£500 mixers available on the market.
Pro's
The reputation that this mixer has gained throughout the dj world is a story in itself and it was this which drew me to it in the first place. Allen & Heath have a reputation of building the best mixers in the world - this is certainly the case after trying it out. Firstly, you will be hard pushed to find a mixer which sounds better than any of the Xone series. The sound is unbelievable even through budget speakers - you will notice that installing one of these in your system will definately make it punch out a crisper and more accurate sound through all ranges (low, mid & high).
Secondly, this mixer is buit like a brick - no wobbly buttons or faders, and it is this trademark of the Xone series which really shows when using the mixer. On top of this, the easy to use VCF filter which pretty much acts as a built in effects unit, is superb. I believe that this effect is all you really need, unlike the effects on any of the Pioneer mixers (most effects sound terrible on these).
Cons
It has always baffled me why Allen & Heath decided to put the line gain buttons on the back of the unit. The Aux buttons are found in the usual gain spot on the mixer. But saying this, once you get used to the location of the gain buttons (which does not take very long), mixing is effortless. It is just odd why they decided on this location in the first place. Apart from this, you only get three channels on the Xone:32 - which is one less than the Pioneer DJM-500 and DJM-600. But if you only mix with two decks and an effects unit, or three decks, this arrangement works out great.
All in all, I would highly recommend this mixer above the Pioneer series, and also the Ecler Nuo series. I love its sound and build, and once you get used to the gains being on the back, you will not regret buying this product. I am currently saving for the Xone:62 by Allen & Heath, which is its bigger brother (instead of three channels it has six (four line, two mic). Both mixers are built the same, sound the same, and have the same VCF filter installed, so I am upgrading purely to gain more channels to be used by another CD deck and an external sampler.
Summary: Superb mixer for the price, highly recommended!
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