Xvive PX System

If controlling your own foldback mix appeals but you’d rather not invest in a digital setup, the PX System might be just what you need.

It’s great that in‑ear monitoring systems are no longer the preserve of professional touring bands — there are now many affordable options that suit the budgets and requirements of semi‑pro and amateur musicians. The abundance of digital mixing consoles with Wi‑Fi control and plentiful auxiliary outputs has also helped to bring the luxury of ‘hearing yourself on stage’ to many performers.

Xvive are a relatively new company in this field, established in 2014 with a line of guitar effect pedals, moving into wireless technology in 2016 and now apparently holding several wireless patents. They manufacture in China, although their designers are based all over the world, including North America, Europe and Asia. Their manufacturing facilities make products for “several top American music gear brands”, as well as Xvive’s own designs, and are described as “highly respected”. Their entry into the wireless market in 2016 was the U2 Guitar System, which paved the way for a range of products focusing primarily on wireless systems and in‑ear monitors.

The latest addition to their catalogue, the PX System, moves away from wireless technology and uses Cat5 cabling to deliver three discrete audio channels from your mixer to on‑stage performers, who can balance each element as required using a small belt‑pack mixer. If your budget doesn’t stretch to wireless in‑ear monitors and the idea of controlling your own mix from an iPad is too expensive, unappealing or downright complicated, the PX System might be what you’re looking for.

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The PX System comprises three elements: the PX‑A headphone mixer belt‑pack, the PX‑B three‑channel snake, and a 25‑foot, shielded Cat5 cable to connect the two units together. The PX‑A is around an inch deep, an inch wide and four inches long, and looks very similar to the personal headphone amplifiers available from Behringer and SubZero. At one end is a small volume knob that also acts as an on/off switch, and below it is a standard 3.5mm stereo headphone socket. A small switch selects either battery power or POE (Power Over Ethernet, which I will explain in a moment), and there’s a battery level LED that glows blue when the unit is on and changes to red when power is low. Three volume knobs, clearly labelled Input 1, 2 and 3, are used to control the levels of the individual audio signals routed to the PX‑A. A locking etherCON RJ45 connector allows connection to the PX‑B.

The complete system comprises the PX‑A mixer unit, the PX‑B breakout snake, and a 25‑foot etherCON cable to connect the two.

The PX‑A’s battery compartment flips open to reveal space for two AAA batteries, plus three DIP switches that serve...