In this guide: The short answer · The range at a glance · Analogue, interface or FX · Model by model · PX5 vs 92 and PX5 vs 96 · Xone:92 MK1 vs MK2 · 92 Limited Edition vs MK2 · Xone:K3 controller · 23C, 43C, K2 and DB4 · Popular picks · FAQ

Allen & Heath’s Xone range page currently lists seven mixers and one controller: the Xone:96, Xone:92, Xone:92 Limited Edition, Xone:PX5, Xone:43, Xone:24C, Xone:24 and the Xone:K3. They share the Xone voltage-controlled filter and an analogue mix path, and they split on three things: how many channels you get, whether there is a USB soundcard, and whether there are effects built in.

This guide covers the whole range. The head-to-head between the two flagships is in our Xone:92 MK2 vs Xone:96 guide, so it gets one paragraph here rather than a rerun.

The short answer

• Club install, vinyl-led, no laptop needed: Xone:92 MK2. Four phono/line channels plus two mic/line channels, 100% analogue including the mix bus, two filters with LFOs, two aux sends. No USB.
• Club install where DJs bring laptops or DVS: Xone:96. The 92 layout carried forward with two independent USB soundcards, two cue systems, two FX sends and four stereo returns.
• Performance DJ who wants effects on the desk: Xone:PX5. Four channels plus a mic/aux channel, the Xone filter, the built-in Xone:Xcite FX engine and a 20-channel USB soundcard.
• Four channels, pure analogue, smaller budget: Xone:43. Four phono/line channels, 3-band isolator EQ with total kill, one assignable filter and an FX loop. No USB.
• Two channels for home, mobile or a small bar: Xone:24 (all analogue), or the Xone:24C if you want a USB-C interface for DVS, streaming or recording.

The range at a glance

Channel counts are as Allen & Heath describes them: the first number is the main stereo channels, the second the extra channels beyond them. On the 92, “4+2” is four phono/line channels plus two mic/line channels.

Analogue, interface or FX: what the labels mean

Every mixer in the current range has an analogue audio path. Allen & Heath calls each of them an “analogue mixer”; what changes is what sits alongside that path.

• Pure analogue: Xone:92 MK2, 92 Limited Edition, 43 and 24. No soundcard and no digital processing. For the 92, Allen & Heath specifies 100% analogue circuitry and mix bus summing.
• Analogue with interface: Xone:96 and 24C. The mix stays analogue; the USB interface gets audio to and from a computer for DVS, recording or streaming. The 96 has two independent USB connections, each with six stereo inputs and outputs, so two laptops can be connected at once. The 24C’s interface has Stream, DAW and DVS Pro modes and a two-port powered USB-C hub.
• Analogue with digital FX and interface: Xone:PX5. Allen & Heath describes it as “Digital Heart. Analogue Soul.”: an analogue mixer with an internal digital effects engine and a 20-channel soundcard.

For DVS, the 96 and PX5 soundcards both support Native Instruments Traktor Scratch Pro 3, and Allen & Heath lists both as Traktor Scratch certified. The 24C offers a DVS Pro mode.

Model by model

Xone:96

The Xone:96 is the 6+2 flagship: four stereo channels with the 4-band Xone EQ, two further stereo channels (returns A and B) with a 3-band parametric EQ, and two auxiliary stereo return channels. The dual Xone:VCF filters add Crunch, a controlled harmonic distortion before the filter, and all six main channels can be routed to either filter.

For the booth it has two independent headphone cue systems, booth outputs with 3-band booth EQ, two stereo sends (Send 1 switchable to Hi-Z for guitar pedals), four stereo returns and a master insert. MIDI is available over USB and 5-pin DIN, and X:Link connects Xone:K controllers. Channel faders are 60mm VCA types and the crossfader is an Innofader Mini. For installs there is a Xone:96 rack mount kit.

Xone:92 MK2

The Xone:92 MK2 keeps the classic 92 layout: four phono/line channels with 4-band EQ (total kill on HF and LF, two mid bands) and two mic/line channels whose mic EQ is 4-band at ±15dB. Each mic channel can switch to a jack stereo line return. Two stereo aux sends can be set pre- or post-fade, two VCF filters can be driven by two independent LFOs, and outputs include Mix 1 on XLR, a second Mix 2 output, booth and record. There is a 5-pin MIDI out, but no USB. Allen & Heath sells the 19-inch rack kit for the MK2 separately (part X:922-RK19/X).

Xone:PX5

The Xone:PX5 is a 4+1 desk: four channels that each take phono, line or USB, plus a mic/aux channel with XLR and jack inputs that can also act as a USB return. All channels have 3-band total-kill EQ. The Xone filter (HPF, BPF, LPF) is assignable to each channel and can also take the aux channel and external return.

What sets it apart is the Xone:Xcite FX engine (delays, reverbs, modulators, flangers and distorters), which works as an insert or as a send, plus an external send/return with a Line/Hi-Z switch and a hybrid mode that combines the two. It has a MIDI clock engine with 5-pin MIDI out, X:Link, a three-curve crossfader and Innofader Pro 2 compatibility.

Xone:43

The Xone:43 is Allen & Heath’s fully analogue four-channel option: four phono/line channels with 3-band isolator EQ and total kill on each band, a freely assignable Xone VCF with HPF, BPF and LPF, and an FX loop with X:FX dry/wet control per channel. It adds an XLR mic input with 2-band EQ, a balanced XLR master, and RCA booth and record outputs. The crossfader has three curve settings and is Innofader compatible.

Xone:24 and Xone:24C

The Xone:24 and Xone:24C are compact 2+1 mixers with the same analogue core: high-gain RIAA phono preamps, matched phono/line inputs, 3-band isolator EQ, a Xone:VCF with low-pass and high-pass modes, a Mini innoFADER crossfader and a master insert FX loop. The 24C adds a class-compliant 96kHz/24-bit USB-C interface (Mac, Windows, iOS) and MIDI output from key controls. Its powered hub ports can host a Xone:K controller.

PX5 vs Xone:92 and PX5 vs Xone:96

These come up a lot because the PX5 sits between the 43 and the flagships. The differences, from Allen & Heath’s own specifications:

PX5 or 92: pick the PX5 if you want effects and a soundcard in the mixer and are happy with one filter and 3-band EQ. Pick the 92 if you play mainly turntables or players into the house system, want the 4-band EQ and twin filters with LFOs, and use outboard effects over the aux sends.

PX5 or 96: both have a soundcard and DVS support. The 96 gives you more channels, 4-band EQ, two filters with Crunch, a second soundcard for back-to-back laptop changeovers and two cue systems. The PX5 is the one with onboard effects. For a single-DJ setup that wants FX, the PX5; for a club booth with guest DJs, the 96.

92 or 96: same family layout; the 96 adds the dual soundcard, the parametric return channels and more FX routing, while the 92 stays fully analogue with no USB. The full comparison is in our Xone:92 MK2 vs Xone:96 guide.

Xone:92 MK1 vs MK2: what actually changed

“MK1” is the name DJs use for the original Xone:92, launched in 2004. Allen & Heath announced the updated model in October 2024; its product page calls it simply the Xone:92, and its user guide calls it the Xone:92 Mk2 (model XONE:922). Allen & Heath lists these changes on the new model:

• Latest high-performance analogue components in the audio path, with the all-analogue path and analogue mix bus summing retained.
• Filter: silent switching (Xone:96-style analogue soft-switching, so assigning channels or switching filters does not put clicks on the mix), refined VCF tapers with an optimised control curve, and enhanced resonance.
• Crossfader: a custom mini innoFADER Pro, tuned to match the curve of the original 92 fader. Allen & Heath’s earlier 92 page described a UK-built Penny & Giles crossfader.
• Channel faders: a new three-way global channel fader curve switch for channels 1 to 4.
• Inputs: optimised RIAA phono preamps with a curve tailored for techno and house, and improved channel 1 to 4 input level and phono/line source matching.
• Rear panel: mic clean-feed switches (by default the mics stay out of the booth and record outputs; the switches add them back) and a removable dual ground adaptor so two turntables can be earthed separately.
• Panel: updated Storm Grey colourway with enhanced UV printing for low light, a refocused legend, and recessed Filter and XFade assign switches.

What carries over: Allen & Heath’s page for the earlier 92 also described a 4+2 analogue mixer with 4-band EQ and total kill on HF and LF, two VCF filters, two independent LFOs, two aux sends and Mix 1, Mix 2 and booth outputs, and the MK2 user guide says it retains the original MIDI functionality. Allen & Heath has not published a line-by-line sound comparison between the two, so we will not claim one.

Xone:92 Limited Edition vs MK2

The Limited Edition came first, in March 2024, for the 92’s 20th anniversary, and Allen & Heath says the MK2 takes its hardware enhancements from it. Comparing the two current user guides, the controls and audio features are documented the same way: revised RIAA preamps, the refined filter with silent switching, the custom mini innoFADER Pro, recessed Filter and XFade switches, the channel fader curve switch and the mic clean-feed switches all appear in both.

The confirmed differences are in finish and what comes in the box:

If you want a working club mixer, the MK2 gives you the same documented feature set. The Limited Edition is for collectors who want the silver panel and the numbered extras.

The Xone:K3 controller

The Xone:K3 is the controller in the current range. It has 52 physical controls (30 buttons, 12 pots, 6 endless push encoders and 4 x 60mm faders) and three layers, for up to 174 MIDI assignments, set up in the free Xone Controller Editor app. It is class-compliant USB MIDI, bus powered over USB-C, and works on macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.

Over X:Link it plugs into the Xone:96 and PX5 (plus the 43C and 23C mixers, the K2 controller and DB mixers), which saves a USB port on the laptop. Allen & Heath designed it to read existing K1 and K2 mappings, so it can drop in for an older K controller.

What about the 23C, 43C, K2 and DB4?

In mid-2024 Allen & Heath’s Xone pages still listed the 23C, 23 and K2. The current Xone range page lists none of them, nor the 43C or DB4. The K3’s X:Link compatibility list does still name the 43C, 23C, K2 and DB mixers, so if you own one of those a K3 will connect to it over X:Link. In the current range, the two-channel models are the 24 and 24C, and the four-channel models below the flagships are the 43 and PX5.

Popular picks from the shop

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between the Xone:92 MK1 and MK2?

Same 4+2 analogue layout and sound architecture. The MK2 adds silent filter switching, refined filter tapers, a mini innoFADER Pro crossfader, a channel fader curve switch, optimised RIAA preamps, mic clean-feed switches, a dual ground adaptor and a Storm Grey panel with recessed Filter and XFade switches.

Is the Xone:92 Limited Edition better than the MK2?

Not on paper. Allen & Heath’s user guides document the same controls and audio features for both. The Limited Edition differs in its silver panel, 920-unit run, numbered serial plate, key fob and art print, and it ships with rack ears.

Does the Xone:92 have a USB soundcard?

No. The 92 MK2 is fully analogue with a 5-pin MIDI out and no USB audio. If you need a soundcard, the Xone:96 is the 92-style option with one, and the PX5 and 24C also have USB interfaces.

Which Xone mixers have built-in effects?

Only the PX5, with its Xone:Xcite FX engine. The 96, 92, 43, 24 and 24C use sends, an FX loop or a master insert to bring in external effects units.

Which Xone mixers work with the Xone:K3 over X:Link?

Allen & Heath lists the Xone:96, PX5, 43C, 23C, K2 and DB mixers. The K3 also connects to any computer over USB-C, and the Xone:24C’s powered USB-C hub can host a Xone:K controller.

Is the Xone:43 the same as the PX5 without effects?

No. Both are 4+1 with the Xone filter and 3-band total-kill EQ, but the 43 is fully analogue with no soundcard and an FX loop for external effects, while the PX5 adds the internal FX engine, a 20-channel USB soundcard, MIDI clock and X:Link.

Building the rest of the booth? Monitoring, headphones and cabling are covered in our DJ starter setup guide.