Line 6 X2 XDS95 Digital Wireless Instrument System

No longer available at zZounds
Get mobility without sacrificing sound quality with the Line 6 X2 XDS95 wireless system. The Line 6 X2 XDS95 is an ideal choice for guitarists on the go.

Line 6 X2 Digital XDS95: Wireless Freedom, especially for Guitar and Bass
Wireless technology is great for freeing-up performers on stage, but freedom is no substitute for tone. You can bounce back-and-forth from one side of the stage to the other, but if you don't sound good, what's the point? Guitarists and bass players have specific wireless needs that many vocal-oriented wireless systems just can't meet. For them, the freedom isn't worth the cost. That's where the creation of the Line 6 X2 XDS95 comes in with a wireless device that works as well as a guitar cable. Specifically designed for instrument use, the Line 6 X2 XDS95 system gives you all the freedom you want, with no compromise in sound quality.

How wireless works
In the simplest terms, wireless gear works just like a personal radio station. The incoming audio source is modulated using a carrier frequency, sent through the air from the transmitter to the receiver, then out to your PA system. Normally, full-range audio signals contain too much information to be transmitted consistently. The sound would drop out while the receiver frantically tried to keep up with the transmitter. As a result, most wireless manufacturers use companding technology. First, the audio signal is COMpressed to shrink the amount of information that needs to be transmitted. The receiver is now able to handle everything. It then exPANDs the incoming signal, trying to fill in the holes as best it can before pushing it to the mixer. There are read more fewer dropouts, but the sound quality suffers. Think about listening to your favorite song on an uncompressed CD, then again on the radio. You know what you're listening to, but much of the subtlety is missing.

Line 6 X2 XDS95: Pass all of your performance through the air with no companding
Guitars and basses are extremely expressive instruments, with a wide dynamic range and extended frequency response. When you compand their output, the dramatic impact is lost. Changes in volume are evened out, with the quietest sections sometimes cut altogether. Much of the upper harmonic structure of the music is dropped in favor of a strong fundamental. The natural character of the instrument goes away, and the performance becomes lifeless and thin. Fortunately, with the Line 6 X2 XDS95, there's a way to send all of the audio signal wirelessly, without any companding. The XDT1 transmitter converts the analog output of your pickups to a digital stream of ones and zeros before sending it out over the airwaves. With this 24-bit conversion process, nothing gets lost, and all the dynamic expression is saved. X2 Digital's XDR1 receiver then reassembles the data into analog audio, passing it to your mixer as normal. This TruDIGITAL circuitry delivers a dynamic range of 117dB, to preserve all your volume changes. Go from a whisper quiet clean tone to set the mood, build tension with a volume swell, then kick on the high-gain distortion to take the music over the top. It all comes through flawlessly with the XDS95. Bass players will especially appreciate the low-end frequency response, all the way down to 20Hz. You'll get tight, focused tone, even from the lowest notes on a five-string with the Line 6 X2 XDS95 wireless guitar system.

Compact, stompbox-style construction on the Line 6 XS XDS95 digital wireless system
While most wireless systems are bulky and awkward, the portable, stompbox-style design of the Line 6 X2 XDS95 is a great fit for guitar and bass players. Both the transmitter and receiver easily fit in most standard hardshell cases or gig bags, so there's no need for extra trips out to the tour van during load-in. Setup couldn't be simpler. Select any of the five preset UHF channels, plug into your instrument and the PA, and you're done! In fact, you can use up to five Line 6 X2 XDS95 systems simultaneously with no interference. If you tour extensively, you may run into RF interference on certain channels in different cities. No problem. X2 Digital's DigiScan feature can automatically locate the cleanest signal path anywhere you play, so the music flows with no interruptions. All of this happens with no external antennas to aim, and no gain- or squelch-settings to slow you down. You'll be ready to rock in about the same amount of time it takes to plug in a cable!.

All the ins and outs of the Line 6 X2 XDS95
Speaking of cables, the Line 6 X2 XDS95 includes a special instrument patch cord. There's plenty of length to connect your guitar comfortably, and a threaded end to secure it to the transmitter. Loop it around your guitar strap a few times before plugging in to your guitar, and you won't have to worry about the cable coming undone. The XDR1 receiver has a 1/4-inch stereo output jack for easy connection into any PA system. Five-segment LED indicators on both sides of the system make it easy to monitor everything that's happening. They show you the current active channel, audio signal strength, and remaining battery life in one-hour increments. The transmitter will run for up to twelve hours on a single 9-volt battery. The receiver can also be battery powered (eight hours on a 9-volt), or plugged-in with an optional AC adapter (sold separately). To maintain the best possible quality control, the entire XDS95 system is produced in the USA. While X2 Digital is a relatively new company, its two principle founders were the first to produce wireless technology for musical applications more than ten years ago. With their expertise and commitment to quality, you can count on this wireless system to give you the freedom you crave and the tone you need.

Consumer Alert
Most users do not need a license to operate this wireless microphone system. Nevertheless, operating this microphone system without a license is subject to certain restrictions: the system may not cause harmful interference; it must operate at a low power level (not in excess of 50 milliwatts); and it has no protection from interference received from any other device. Purchasers should also be aware that the FCC is currently evaluating use of wireless microphone systems, and these rules are subject to change. For more information, call the FCC at 1-888-CALL-FCC (TTY: 1-888-TELL-FCC) or visit the FCC's wireless microphone website at www.fcc.gov/cgb/wirelessmicrophones

NOTE: None of the wireless systems zZounds carries are capable of violating the FCC guidelines stated above. We are presenting this information as a matter of legally required disclosure.
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Transmission Format: X2 proprietary digital audio transmission

Frequency Response: 20 Hz - 12 kHz

Audio Dynamic Range: >117 dB

Distortion: 0.03% THD

RF Carrier Frequency: 902 MHz to 928 MHz, FSK

Selectable Frequencies: 5

RF Output Power: 10mw

Audio Output Level: Unity gain with transmitter input

Polarity: Positive voltage at input yields positive voltage at output

Operating Range: >150 feet line-of-sight (may vary due to local conditions)

FCC Approval: Part 15 approved, no user-license required

XDR1 Receiver
D/A Conversion: 24-bit Delta Sigma, 128 times over sampling

Output: 2.12V RMS (Unbalanced: 1.8K ohms)

Connectors: 1/4 in. Unbalanced stereo output, tip= instrument voicing, sleeve= full bandwidth

LED Display: 5 segment - Power On, Data Link, Channel, Battery Life, Audio Level Meter, RF Strength

Controls: Power On/Off, Channel/Mode Select

Dimensions: 3.078 in. W x 1.17 in. D x 4.7 in. H

Power Requirements: 9V DC via battery or optional AC power supply (PSA120 type)

Weight: .45 lbs (with 9v battery installed)

XDT1 Transmitter
A/D Conversion: 24-bit Delta Sigma, 128 times over sampling

Input Impedance: 1.3M ohms

Connectors: 1/8 in. Unbalanced locking connector

Controls: Power On/Off, Channel Select

LED Display: 5 segment - Power On, Channel, Battery Life, Audio Level Meter

Dimensions: 2.4 in. W x .66 in. D x 4 in. H

Battery Life: Switching power supply, ~8 Hours (9v alkaline)

Weight: .25 lbs (with 9v battery installed)

For support or warranty questions, please contact the manufacturer:
Phone: 818-575-3600

Reviewers gave this product an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars. (53 ratings)
Submitted February 7, 2008 by a customer from aol.com

"Dump your wireless now - this one is better than yours."

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
Nady, Shure and all the rest have dropped the ball here. This unit, actually made in the good 'ol USA, brings the wireless guitar into the new millenium. The purpose of a wireless rig is really, really simple: eliminate a guitar cable. That's it. This thing does it effortlessly and reliably.

Sound
Cleaner and clearer than the Shure, AKG and AudioT-echnica's I've tried. Plus, it has a TRS output jack that can be split into one superclean and one instrument-voiced output. No dropouts for over 200 feet from the base. AND TAKE NOTICE OF THIS: when you power off the transmitter pack, there is no need for a squelch control since it's not analog. AND THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO THUMP WHEN YOU TURN IT OFF AND ON! NOTHING! NADA! Thank god someone has finally addressed this problem with virtually all other wireless rigs.

Features
All that's needed. Nothing that's not.

Ease of Use
Excellent visual feedback for what's happening with the groovy blue LEDs that act as signal detector, channel indicator BATTERY LIFE INDICATOR and VU METER! Yes, that's right. It tells you not just if your battery is good until it powers off in mid riff, but actually tells you how many hours of battery life you have left, and shows you your guitar level is weak, too hot or perfect. And the stomp box sized receiver works off my ultra standard Boss PSA style power adapter, no stupid 12 V AC box like some others. read more

Quality
Again, nothing unnecessary about this unit. I've used it on three continents already and it looks and works like the day I bought it.

Value
I A/B'd this thing with the group Chicago's guitar tech's two thousand dollar rig, and this thing kicked their butts in both sound quality and ease of use. Only an idiot would spend more to get less.

Manufacturer Support
I haven't needed support because nothing has gone wrong with it.

The Wow Factor
I tried one out for a few weeks to road-test it, and my band bought four more to take the whole stage wireless.

Musical Background:
Full time professional touring musician

Musical Style:
Rock
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