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Author Topic: The X32 and M32 do sound different, but........  (Read 19534 times)

Luke Geis

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The X32 and M32 do sound different, but........
« on: December 08, 2017, 11:37:37 PM »

Not by much.

So I recently had the joy of taking in a new inventory of JBL SRX-812p's and an M32R mixer!!! I have had the Behringer X32R for about the last 4 years and absolutely love it. It sounds great, does everything I can think of that I need it to do and is the ultimate stealth rig. So I decided I would buy into the Midas line as well to " up the game " a little bit. I wanted and needed a small format, hard surface to mix on that I figured may as well utilize current inventory. So the M32R was the natural choice.

The first thing I did was make the two units work together so I could do an A/B comparison. There is a very slight difference that I tried testing blindly and objectively. The interesting thing is that under test conditions they act very much like a double slit experiment; the results can be determined without actually viewing anything. In other words I ran a single pink noise generator through both units and measured the RTA of the pink noise through both units. No difference. The RMS output according to the RTA is the same. When you listen to them however, you can hear a very slight difference.

So what are my impressions? Well, the same as everyone else who has done the same thing. The X32 has a brightness to it that is different and not as sweet as the M32. The X32 has a lack of low mids and fullness that the M32 seems to have. The M32 just sounds fuller, bigger and the highs are sweeter. The difference is so slight though that you would be hard pressed to tell unless you were able to listen back to back through the same PA. To be honest, unless you were told which one was which first, you would only know that the two sounded so close, that they could be the same unit and you were only creating a difference in your mind.

What is different for sure is overall build quality. The M32 has MUCH better faders and knobs than the X32. The M32 is heavy and substantial for its size. There may not be much difference between the two, but the M32 does sound sweet and works very well and for the $1,800 price tag that you can acquire an M32R for, it is hard to beat. The Stage box is en route to me and I will again do the same test just to confirm that it is not the internal vs external systems that sound different. If you have Midas money, get it. If you have a budget, then the X32 is not going to hurt you in any way that the average punter can tell.
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Robert Lofgren

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Re: The X32 and M32 do sound different, but........
« Reply #1 on: December 09, 2017, 09:37:35 AM »

And you get a 10yr warranty as well :-)
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Ivan Beaver

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Re: The X32 and M32 do sound different, but........
« Reply #2 on: December 09, 2017, 11:52:27 AM »

The best way to see any difference in amplitude/phase between 2 units is to do a dual transfer function of them together.

This is like a normal dual transfer function for system alignment, except the 2 inputs are the devices in question, not one of the inputs being the reference.  This can go for mics, speakers etc.

You will instantly see if there is any difference in response.

An RTA is not the best way to do this.  It lacks resolution and is prone to outside interference
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Kevin Maxwell

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Re: The X32 and M32 do sound different, but........
« Reply #3 on: December 09, 2017, 12:32:36 PM »

Another difference?

Aren’t the Aux outputs, the balanced ¼” jacks on the M32 mixers the same as the XLR outputs? But on the X32 they are different then the XLRs.
« Last Edit: December 09, 2017, 02:20:55 PM by Kevin Maxwell »
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Tim McCulloch

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Re: The X32 and M32 do sound different, but........
« Reply #4 on: December 09, 2017, 01:47:41 PM »

Another difference?

Aren’t the Aux outputs, the balanced ¼” jacks on the M32 mixers the same at the XLR outputs? But on the X32 they are different then the XLRs.

If I understand your question correctly the answer is no, the 1/4 inch outputs are physically and electrically separate  feom the XLR connections on both mixers. There is no difference between brands in this regard.
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Kevin Maxwell

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Re: The X32 and M32 do sound different, but........
« Reply #5 on: December 09, 2017, 02:27:30 PM »

If I understand your question correctly the answer is no, the 1/4 inch outputs are physically and electrically separate  feom the XLR connections on both mixers. There is no difference between brands in this regard.

Sorry that was a typo I meant to say that they are the same as the XLR. Not at. Meaning that on the M32 they are the same level and quality as the XLR outputs on the M32. On the X32 the aux outputs (1/4" TRS) are not the same as the XLR outputs on the X32

From what I have experienced, the M32 aux outs are different then the X32 aux outs. The X32 aux outputs are lower in level then the M32. I will try to find a link.
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Tim McCulloch

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Re: The X32 and M32 do sound different, but........
« Reply #6 on: December 09, 2017, 04:16:47 PM »

Sorry that was a typo I meant to say that they are the same as the XLR. Not at. Meaning that on the M32 they are the same level and quality as the XLR outputs on the M32. On the X32 the aux outputs (1/4" TRS) are not the same as the XLR outputs on the X32

From what I have experienced, the M32 aux outs are different then the X32 aux outs. The X32 aux outputs are lower in level then the M32. I will try to find a link.

Ah, I get where you're going with this...

I've not done a side by side but using both an x32 and m32 to drive the same PA I've not noticed any significant difference in audible level with the same metered level... As in if there's a difference it's less than 3dB in my observation.
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Corey Scogin

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Re: The X32 and M32 do sound different, but........
« Reply #7 on: December 09, 2017, 04:49:50 PM »

I've not done a side by side but using both an x32 and m32 to drive the same PA I've not noticed any significant difference in audible level with the same metered level... As in if there's a difference it's less than 3dB in my observation.

The max output level of the 1/4" vs XLR outputs is different on the X32 but the same on the M32.
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Mark Wilkinson

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Re: The X32 and M32 do sound different, but........
« Reply #8 on: December 09, 2017, 06:50:56 PM »

The best way to see any difference in amplitude/phase between 2 units is to do a dual transfer function of them together.

This is like a normal dual transfer function for system alignment, except the 2 inputs are the devices in question, not one of the inputs being the reference.  This can go for mics, speakers etc.

You will instantly see if there is any difference in response.

An RTA is not the best way to do this.  It lacks resolution and is prone to outside interference

+1

One problem though, that i sometimes have comparing digital devices via transfer ... comparing mixers, processors, etc...
is when there seems to be a clocking issue between reference and measured channels....

Do you see that often?
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Brian Adams

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Re: The X32 and M32 do sound different, but........
« Reply #9 on: December 09, 2017, 07:28:43 PM »

I've done a small holiday tour for the last few years with an X32 and 2 X32 racks for monitors, using the X32 racks for a digital split. This year I decided to patch in a DL32 on an analog split, mostly so I could have more freedom with channel gain. It definitely sounded better than last years shows. I can't say if it was due to the Midas preamps in the DL32, the fact that I had to re-gain every channel, the slightly different mics on toms and overheads, or that the artist finally got herself a set of molded ears, but there was a noticeable difference in the sound this year. I didn't change a whole lot from last year to now, but the DL32 was the biggest hardware change for me. It's hard to say how much of an impact that had, or if I'd have had the same result with an S32 in its place.

I could have taken one of my M32's out this year instead of an X32, but I decided not to. I wouldn't have been using the preamps in it anyway, so I figured I'd save the wear and tear on it. The M32 definitely looks and feels better than an X32 though.
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Brian Adams
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ProSoundWeb Community

Re: The X32 and M32 do sound different, but........
« Reply #9 on: December 09, 2017, 07:28:43 PM »


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