Allen & Heath DX168 Portable Expander

Add connectivity options to your mobile sound with the rugged DX168 Portable Expander from Allen & Heath. Every DX168 offers 16 mic preamps (with independent Phantom Power LED indicators) and 8 XLR line outs. This is a great piece of gear for any application that requires expanded connectivity in a mobile unit, such as rental companies, education, houses of worship, and much more.

Built to withstand the rigors of on-the-road performances, this expander features a heavy-duty design that includes hard-wearing rubber bumpers so it can be placed directly on the stage floor. Despite its solid build, the DX168 weighs in at just 4.8 kg (approximately 10.6 lbs) and includes a sturdy carry handle to make it light and easy to move. While it’s been optimized for portability, the DX168 can also be permanently installed in 19” racks (using an optional 4U rack mounting kit, sold separately).

Enhance your remote I/O by connecting this expander to a mixer from Allen & Heath’s dLive, Avantis, or SQ series, or to the AHM-64 audio matrix processor. (All external gear and accessories are sold separately.) Use a single Cat5e cable to connect the DX168 to a dLive Surface, MixRack, SQ mixer, or Avantis mixer. Alternatively, use one of the expander’s secure EtherCon ports to connect an upstream DX168. The DX168 offers a second locking EtherCon port to enable redundant connection to compatible hardware or daisy-chaining to a downstream DX168 for even more access to remote I/O.

dLive

Add up to 6 DX168 expanders to a standard dLive system (4 via MixRack, 2 via Surface) to add up to 96 remote inputs and 24 remote outputs. Use a DX Link card or DX hub to connect up to 46 units.

AHM-64

Daisy-chain 2 DX168 units to an AHM 64 SLink port. Use a DX Hub to add up to 8 DX168s and patch them to 64 input channels.

Avantis

Daisy-chain 2 DX168 units to an Avantis SLink port. Use a DX Link card and/or DX Hubs to add up to 16 DX168s.

SQ

Daisy-chain 2 DX168 units to an SQ SLink port. Use an optional SLink card for SQ to enable more connections, or a DX Hub to create a more distributed system that can handle up to 8 DX168 or DX168 units in any combination, which can be patched to the SQ’s 64 input channels.

Allen & Heath DX168 Features

• 16 Mic Preamps on XLR with Phantom Power status LEDs
• 8 XLR Line Outs
• Compatible with dLive S Class and dLive C Class hardware
• Cascade mode allows daisy-chaining of 2 DX168 Expanders for additional I/O
• Redundant DX connection to compatible dLive hardware
• Optional 19-inch rack mount kit available
• Plug and Play - no IP addressing required
• Compatible with CAT5e (or higher) cables of up to 100m
• Rubber bumpers
• Carry handle

• DX168 Portable Expander1

• Inputs
  • XLR Mic/Line Inputs: Balanced, +48V Phantom Power
  • Mic/Line Preamp: Fully recallable
  • Input Sensitivity: -60 to +15dBu
  • Analogue Gain: +5 to +60dB, 1dB steps
  • Pad: -20dB Active PAD
  • Maximum Input Level: +30dBu (PAD in)
  • Input Impedance: >4kΩ (Pad out), >10kΩ (Pad in)
• Mic/Line Channel noise: 22-22kHz, Direct Out @ unbalanced out
  • Mic EIN: -127dB with 150Ω source
  • Unity gain (Pad in): -90dBu
  • Low gain (5dB, Pad out): -96dBu
  • Unity gain (Pad in): -90dBu
  • Low gain (5dB, Pad out): -96dBu
• Mic/Line Channel THD+N: 22-22kHz, Direct Out @ unbalanced out
  • Unity gain (Pad in): 0.003% -88dBu @ 1kHz, 0dBu output
  • Low gain (5dB, Pad out): 0.002% -93dBu @ 1kHz, 0dBu output
  • Mid gain (30dB, Pad out): 0.003% -88dBu @ 1kHz, 0dBu output
• Sample Rate96kHz
• Outputs
  • XLR Outputs: Balanced, Relay protected
    • Output Impedance: <75Ω
    • Nominal Output: +4dBu = 0dB meter reading
    • Maximum Output Level: +22dBu
    • Residual Output Noise: -92dBu (muted, 20-20kHz)
  • Operating Temperature
    • 0 deg C to 35 deg C
    • (32 deg F to 95 deg F)
  • Mains Power100-240V, 50/60 Hz, 40W max
• Dimensions and Weight (W x D xH)16.1 x 7.5 x 7.3 inches, 10.1 lbs (410 x 190 x 185 mm, 4.6 kg)