Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I've been looking for a way to manage my 3 inputs (2 computers, 1 stereo) to go to one set of speakers and one set of headphones. Previously, I had to use 2 sets of headphones for the computers and required a amp/speaker set with 2 inputs. Switching between headset and speakers was awkward.
I wanted a small unit that could accept at least 3 stereo inputs and had at least 2 stereo outputs, one for the speakers and one for headphones.
Just got this pMix 100 today and have been listening to it this afternoon. There are a few issues, but overall I think I'm going to keep it as it seems to address my need.
PROS:
+ it accepts three 3.5mm (1/8in) headphone jack-style stereo inputs that can be mixed together if you want.
+ jacks are nice and tight so unlikely that the plugs will fall out.
+ sound seems good; I'm only using it for casual listening
+ size is pretty compact, can be easily tucked away on a desk
+ comes with a couple of male-male 3.5mm connector cables and an RCA-3.5mm male cable
+ knobs are damped and knobs seemed to fit tightly on my unitCONS:
- Most noticeable drawback is the loss of volume. I measured the sound of a source (i) run directly to the speakers and (ii) run through the unit. For a song that peaked at 93dB a few feet away in the direct source set up (i), the measurement when run through the unit (ii) was 83dB. This is a significant loss of 10dB attributable to the unit. I made sure that the knobs weren't moved between the comparisons. Despite this, I could still get plenty of volume out, so I came to terms with this.
- Occasional quite noticeable hum which I discovered was positional - that is, I got rid of it almost completely by moving the unit slightly or putting my hand over it. This indicates that it's lacking some shielding somewhere. Perhaps wrapping it in tinfoil would help? Some kind of makeshift Faraday cage? Anyway I just moved it 3 inches and it's fine for now.
- Blue lights are ridiculous (too bright and distracting!) and I will eliminate or cover them asap
- headphones do cut off speaker output so if you need 2 simultaneous outputs, this is probably not for you. It's fine for me.
In summary, it works OK and in the absence of another inexpensive unit that manages my sound output this is fine. I don't think I would run any quality-critical mixing through it but for a compact listening solution it's fine.
The only other option I could find were the 8-10 input mixers; however they are really designed for predominantly mono inputs (though they have a couple of stereo inputs) and would have required too many adapters for the multiple mini-plug inputs I have.
I'm pretty harsh with ratings so 3 stars is probably what other people might call 4 stars.
UPDATE 02 Nov 2009
The buzzing (RF interference of some sort) was particularly noticeable with my wireless Sennheiser headphones and I got annoyed moving this thing around. It seems that the solution is to wrap it in tin foil - stops the buzzing (by protecting unshielded components).
So if you can live with it wrapped in tin foil, there is virtually no line noise. The stupid blue lights and transparent case seem to have been more important than properly shielding the case or wiring.
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