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A digital stage box in a case on a stage floor with eight XLR inputs patched and one Cat5 snake running back toward a rack mixer in the haze.
Networking · Intermediate · 7 min read

Stage Boxes for IEM Rigs: S16, SD16, DL32, AB168 and DX168 Compared

Preamp counts, outputs, gain range and power for the stage boxes that feed Behringer, Midas and Allen & Heath consoles over one network cable.

Get the short answerPlan it in IEM Rig
IEM Rig GuidesPublished Checked against 8 source documents
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Before you start

A stage box puts preamps on stage and sends everything to the console over one network cable. For an IEM rig it decides two things: how many inputs you can add, and how many outputs you get back on stage for wired packs or transmitters.

The short answer

  • Behringer and Midas consoles (X32, M32, Wing): use an AES50 box. S16 or SD16 for 16 inputs, DL32 for 32.
  • Allen & Heath Qu and GLD: the AB168 over dSNAKE.
  • Allen & Heath dLive, and SQ via SLink: the DX168, a 96 kHz box with published gain range and power figures. The DT168 is the Dante version.

Boxes do not cross families. An AES50 box will not talk to an Allen & Heath console, and a DX168 will not talk to an X32. Pick the box your console speaks first.

The boxes

Figure 1. Four of the boxes compared. The family decides which console each one talks to.

Behringer S16

16 XLR inputs with Midas programmable preamps, 8 XLR outputs, two AES50 ports, an Ultranet connector for P16 (no power supplied) and two 8-channel ADAT outputs. Phantom is 48V switchable per input; the non-clip maximum input level is +23 dBu. It is a 2RU steel rack chassis at 4.7 kg, rated at 45W. Two cascaded S16s give 32 inputs and 16 outputs. See the S16 page.

Behringer SD16

Same 16 Midas preamps, now on XLR/TRS combo jacks, with 8 XLR outputs and two AES50 ports. The difference for an IEM rig is Ultranet: the SD16 has two Ultranet outputs that power P16-M personal mixers directly. Behringer’s guide gives 45W consumption, 3.2 kg and 333 x 149 x 140 mm, the same compact chassis size as the XR18. The full S16 vs SD16 comparison goes port by port.

Midas DL32

32 Midas PRO preamps on XLR, 16 XLR outputs, two AES50 ports and two 8-channel ADAT outputs. Phantom is 48V switchable per input; the non-clip maximum input is +23.5 dBu. Midas gives 55W consumption, 5.7 kg and 483 x 242 x 138 mm. If a band needs more than 16 inputs on stage, one DL32 replaces two 16-input boxes.

Allen & Heath AB168

16 XLR mic/line inputs and 8 XLR outputs, with gain, pad and 48V phantom remote-controlled from a GLD or Qu mixer over a single dSNAKE Cat5 run of up to 120 m. The preamps run +5 to +60 dB in 1 dB steps with a -20 dB pad, and the maximum input is +32 dBu. Its expander port takes a second AB168 or an Allen & Heath ME personal mixing system. It has a built-in universal power supply rated at 20W maximum, weighs 4.8 kg, and mounts in a 19-inch rack with the AB168-RK10 kit. See the AB168 page.

Allen & Heath DX168 and DT168

The DX168 has 16 remote-controlled, recallable mic/line preamps and 8 XLR outputs for Allen & Heath 96 kHz systems. Its guide gives a gain range of +5 to +60 dB in 1 dB steps, 48V phantom with an indicator at each input, a maximum input of +30 dBu with the pad in, and 20W maximum consumption. A second DX168 cascades from its DX B port. It is 410 x 190 x 185 mm and 4.6 kg, and racks with the AB1608-RK19 kit. The DT168 is the Dante version, with dLive preamps at 48 or 96 kHz.

Preamps at a glance

Explore in 3DBehringer S16 Digital Stage BoxSixteen preamps on stage, one cable back.Gear page ›
  • Preamp count: 16 on the S16, SD16, AB168, DX168 and DT168. 32 on the DL32.
  • Gain range: AB168 and DX168, +5 to +60 dB in 1 dB steps. The SD16 guide’s control chart runs from -2.5 to +45 dB in 2.5 dB steps. Behringer and Midas publish no range for the S16 or DL32, only measurements at set gains (the DL32’s noise figure is quoted at +45 dB).
  • Phantom power: 48V on every box. Switchable per input on the S16, SD16 and DL32; remote-controlled from the console on the AB168 and DX168.
  • Maximum input level: S16 and SD16 (XLR), +23 dBu. DL32, +23.5 dBu. AB168, +32 dBu. DX168, +30 dBu with the pad in.
  • Gain control: remote from the console on all of them, so gain is saved with the show.
  • Rig impact: count your inputs, then add a box only when the console’s local preamps run out. An X32 Rack has 16 local Midas preamps; one S16 doubles that, and a DL32 triples it.

Outputs for in-ears

Figure 2. What plugs into a stage box’s outputs: a transmitter per mix, or personal mixers fed over Ultranet instead.

Every box sends 8 or 16 line outputs back to the stage. That is where wired IEM packs and wireless transmitters can plug in without a run back to the rack. A stereo mix needs two outputs, so a 16-input, 8-output box carries four stereo mixes. For personal mixers, the SD16’s powered Ultranet outputs and the AB168’s ME expander port avoid using those outputs at all.

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Sources

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