Xone: 23 - A&H updates the Xone: 22

[Era 7]

Allen & Heath has announced a new mixer, the Xone:23.

The mixer looks to be the latest version of the Xone:22, formerly the smallest in Allen & Heath's DJ mixer range. (We profiled their flagship mixer, the Xone:92, in our Industry Standards series last year.) The Xone:23 keeps its two-channel design while upgrading some of its other features. Aesthetically, the mixer draws from Allen & Heath's digital Xones, the DB2 and DB4. It includes a feature integral to its analog mixers, though: the well loved voltage control filter, with low-pass, high-pass and frequency sweep modes, along with the usual "mild to wild" resonance control. DJs can bring in external sound effects devices via an effects loop, and its three bands of EQ provide total kill. The video below shows off the mixer's new look and full feature set:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBpcPSh_TEU#t=119


Allen & Heath will release the Xone:23 in April 2014 for a suggested retail price of £242 (+ VAT).

Source: http://www.residentadvisor.net/news.aspx?id=22366

[Andrew B]

http://i.imgur.com/ErR8Uru.jpg?1

http://www.allen-heath.com/ahproducts/xone-23/

OMG it has a power switch!

[KLH]

OMG it has a power switch!
... and it's upside down!

http://i.imgur.com/0ZRKXNT.jpg

[Ocie]

OMG it has a power switch!


... and it's upside down!

:lol:

That was my first question. I never got around to fixing my 22, so I always jammed a pencil between the RCAs and XLRs to keep it powered on. :uhoh:

[Catch22]

Looks good. Will have a look at reviews before I consider buying obviously, but looks a very nice 2 channel mixer.

[Nicadraus]

... and it's upside down!

http://i.imgur.com/0ZRKXNT.jpg

Hahaha!

Here's my takes according to what I'm seeing.

Cons:

- Weird placement of headphone, master and mic knobs
- No extra input for 3rd channel or auxiliary
- Putting 4 individual gain controls for just a 2 channel mixer is definitely unnecessary. A toggle switch would have been better
- Why not improve by putting 2 separate knobs for the filter instead of just one?

Pros:

- Monitor/booth out

I'd still take a Pioneer DJM-250/350 or a DJ-Tech DIF-1s anytime over this mixer.

[KLH]

^ I have a DIF-1S and can't stand it because of the missing main/cue mix knob. Love everything else though.

[DjLiquitATL]

One of the ugliest mixers on the market

[Rad]

hmm, about that third channel input, would it be possible to use the FX loop return as one ?

I know it does not make sense for mixing, but for my setup I think it might work:
I have a traktor Audio 6, and I use the main input on that for recording my mixes, and I use the main output of the audio 6 as a computer output for anything but traktor (youtube, itunes etc.) when I want to use my monitor speakers for something other than mixing.

So if I just connect the main in of my audio 6 to the record output of the mixer and the main out of my audio 6 to the FX return on the mixer, could I then just use the "EXT ON" button on the mixer to listen to itunes through the mixer ?

I have looked at the block diagram in the manual (http://www.allen-heath.com/media/AP9250-issue-1-xone23-user-guide.pdf) , and this leads me to believe this should be possible, but the input level of the FX RTN is specced differently from the other inputs (0 to +20dBu 10k Ohm instead of -10 to +20dBu 20K ohm). I am not knowledgeable enough to understand what these numbers would mean in this context....

Thanks for any reactions.

[contra]

I'm a huge A+H fan, but this looks like a fucking toy. C'mon man, I'm disappointed.

[DJNR]

One of the ugliest mixers on the market

Because aesthetics are important when it comes to hearing things right?

[Delta V]

I don't like the looks either but I love the dual gain knobs for each input, I go between records and CDs a lot of this would be nice especially to have a scratch record lined up and not have to worry about adjusting the gain again. Really wish they'd update the 32 though, I want 3 phono inputs/ channels but not a big 4ch mixer.

[Mark_Spit]

I guess I'm in the minority, but I kinda like the way it looks. However, how do you control the send / return? :confused:

[Era 7]

However, how do you control the send / return? :confused:

there is a button above the high pass filter that says "ext-on" ;)

[David Bowman]

[[/URL]

OMG it has a power switch!

Hahaha first thought as well

[SierraEx]

that thing is ugly as sin.. i dont understand the point of the jut-in's unless they are planning on making something to fit in those gaps, but other that that there will be a fairly sizable hole between decks and mixer, yay dust! Other than that it looks like another fairly good little mixer.

[DJ Nutty]

Quite disappointed in this mixer, was hoping it would be a worthy upgrade over my 22. Pink buttons ?! WTH! Those wings are hideous, and why they couldn't add a proper cross fader on/off switch I'll never know. They should have added a filter per channel, and it would have been awesome. As it is, its barely better than the 22, but looks even worse.

Why cant any of the DJ website ppl who wrote about this at NAMM, tell us if the filter glitch pop is fixed either ?! Its the only question most ppl considering this mixer want to know!

[ampnation]

Like your underwear, the transformer should go on the INSIDE.
Wall warts drive me nuts and it is rare I'll buy gear with one.

[mr_ragz]

One of the ugliest mixers on the market

funny because I think its pretty sexy myself

[Estacy]

Like your underwear, the transformer should go on the INSIDE.
Wall warts drive me nuts and it is rare I'll buy gear with one.

On a cheap-ass mixer? Probably.

On a high end mixer? No No! A transformer INSIDE a mixer introduces hum to the signal path, a mixer with an external PSU is much, much quieter. I do think those small Wall Warts are dumb, proper PSUs have cables on both ends so you can actually use your wall plugs.

[ampnation]

On a cheap-ass mixer? Probably.

On a high end mixer? No No! A transformer INSIDE a mixer introduces hum to the signal path, a mixer with an external PSU is much, much quieter. I do think those small Wall Warts are dumb, proper PSUs have cables on both ends so you can actually use your wall plugs.

I suppose if you don't spend the money to isolate it -- which is why the Xone:23 has a wall wart and the Xone:62 does not. Many makers do this.. low end gear gets wall warts, high end gear gets internals with an IEC connector. Pioneer does it too.

[schulz]

did somebody try this mixer?
i'd like to buy it, but i'm not sure about the audio quality / signal-to-noise ratio / distortion etc.... is it a toy or can i use it in a club?

(i'm currently using a denon mc3000 midi controller.... and i'm planning to replace it with a 2 channel analog mixer + traktor kontrol x1)