Allen & Heath built its reputation on analogue sound quality, and the Xone:24 — the current version of the classic Xone:23 — carries it at an entry-level price. It's the mixer to reach for when you care less about brand ecosystems and more about how the music actually sounds coming out of the box.
The filter is the point
The real draw is the VCF (Voltage Controlled Filter) with resonance. Its filter sweeps sound richer and more musical than the digital filters on rival mixers, which is exactly why the Xone line has been a long-standing favourite for house and techno. The dual-input channels also give you more routing flexibility than a plain two-channel box, and the build quality is excellent — a solid faceplate, reassuring knobs, and backlit controls that feel built to last.
The trade-off
The compromise is connectivity. There's no USB soundcard built in, so if you want to run DVS or record to a laptop you'll need a separate audio interface. For some setups that's a dealbreaker; for others it's irrelevant. If you already mix on hardware and want the best-sounding entry-level mixer you can get, the Xone:24 earns its place — see how it stacks up in our best DJ mixers for beginners guide.
