Oz Audio Q-MIX HM6

If you want to get on with recording, rather than arguing about who needs what foldback, why not let the musicians mix their own? Martin Walker finds he's all mixed up...

As Paul White said back in the April issue of SOS: "For years you never see a headphone amp, then a whole bunch come along at once." He was referring to the Rane Mojo MH4, and the Samson Q5 reviewed a month previously. Well, the ranks have now been swelled still further, with the arrival of the model under review here, the Q‑Mix HM6. Fortunately this one has a rather different flavour, since it features not just the mono or stereo feeds of the previous two, but up to six inputs. The excitement doesn't end there, since these six (a main stereo feed, normally taken from the stereo mix of your main desk, and four additional mono feeds) can be individually sub‑mixed into each of the six stereo headphone outputs provided. There's even an effects send section (one stereo and four mono controls) which emerges from a mono socket on the back panel.

The Package

The HM6 (Headphone Matrix) is both butch and dinky. It comes in a small but heavy steel case (9.5 x 8.5 x 2 inches), incorporating a mains PSU with red LED indicator — so there's no wall‑wart — and even with six phones leads pulling in different directions it should just about stay put on its little rubber feet. All the control knobs are rubber‑coated for good grip, with a clear pointer that extends all the way down the side (I wish all knobs were made like this).

The Q‑Mix is ideal in a studio environment.

Each of the six channels has an overall level control at the bottom (for the main stereo mix), four individual controls to add the four mono inputs (A, B, C, and D), and an effects return level. On the back panel, the headphone outputs are on standard stereo jack sockets, as you'd expect. Beneath these are the effects send (balanced at +4dBu) and the inputs: four mono, a pair for the stereo main input, and another pair for the L and R effects returns. All inputs are balanced and accept levels between ‑10dBV and +22dBu.

The Test

The Q‑Mix outputs are rated at 160 milliwatts into a 60Ω load, and are designed to accept any headphone impedance from 8Ω to 2000Ω. This sounds like peanuts, but most modern phones are very sensitive. I plugged in a selection of signals, from solo kick drum to full band, mixed in some live keyboard and guitars, and iced the cake with some external reverb. The sound quality was fine: I got more than enough level for my ears through both Sennheiser HD480 II phones (60Ω) and an ancient Koss closed‑back set with 300Ω impedance. I did manage to get some slight distortion with solo bass guitar before my head started to ache, but that might have been my eardrums rattling in sympathy. Most people should be happy with the maximum levels attainable, but I would still advise you to check with your own phones if their impedance is more than a couple of hundred ohms.

The Verdict

The Q‑Mix is ideal in a studio environment, where you can connect one stereo and four mono feeds from your desk through to the live recording area. Plug in the Q‑Mix at the other end, where the musicians are playing, provide them with up to six pairs of headphones, and then let them each sort out their own personal foldback mixes. It's also useful live — send any common signals (kick drum, or overall drum mix) to the stereo input, and then add vocals, bass, guitar or whatever you need to the other four, to achieve six separate on‑stage monitor mixes. These could, if necessary, be sent on to power amps and wedge monitors.

I like the Q‑Mix. Its overall styling is strangely reminiscent of that of a certain mixer manufacturer (whose name rhymes with 'Jackie'), and even Oz Audio's address seems to be in the same area. Hmmm... Anyway, it's surprising that there aren't more products like this one available — anything that sorts out arguments is a good thing in my book.