Electro-Voice PSX2000
A 20-kilogram powered mixer with 250 watts per channel and a complete mixing console in one box.
Overview
The first thing you notice about the PSX2000 is the weight: 20 kg in the desktop configuration, 21.5 kg in the rack-mount version. That's a lot to carry up a loading dock at 6 a.m. The mass has an explanation. This is a powered mixer with a complete mixing console and a pair of 250-watt power amplifiers in a single chassis, and the transformer iron alone accounts for a good chunk of the heft.
Electro-Voice built the PSX2000 as a do-everything front end for small-to-mid PA work. The manual's measurement data gives the output figures. At 8 ohms the power amp is rated at 250 watts per channel with THD under 0.1%, rising to 340 watts per channel at 1% THD, and 360 watts on the IHF-A dynamic-headroom burst test. Drop to a 4-ohm load and those figures climb to 500 watts rated, 570 watts at 1% THD, and 680 watts on the burst signal. That's enough to drive a pair of efficient 4-ohm PA cabinets hard without an external amp rack.
The console section is what separates the PSX2000 from a generic powered head. The input complement is broad: mic inputs on balanced 1.8k-ohm XLR-style connections with sensitivity down to -74 dBu (155 μV), mono line inputs on balanced 18k-ohm stages, and stereo line inputs at -34 dBu sensitivity. There are insert sends and returns on both the channel and master paths, a two-track return at +4 dBu, and a stereo return. The output side runs main out, EQ out, mono out, two aux sends plus a third aux, and a record send at -7.8 dBu (-10 dBV). That lets you run monitors, a house feed, and a recording device at the same time without repatching.
The EQ section is more capable than the typical three-knob powered mixer. The mono/mic input gets a shelving low band at ±15 dB/60 Hz, a peaking mid with ±15 dB sweep from 100 Hz to 8 kHz at Q=1, and a shelving high at ±15 dB/12 kHz. The stereo inputs get a gentler mid, ±12 dB at 2.4 kHz, Q=0.7. That suits line-level sources that rarely need surgical midrange work.
The amplifier measures cleanly by the standards of the day. Frequency response at the power-amp input runs from 45 Hz to 54 kHz at -3 dB, and the distortion-limited bandwidth is 25 Hz to 60 kHz at 0.4% THD into 4 ohms at half rated output. SMPTE IMD is under 0.01% at 8 ohms and under 0.015% at 4 ohms; DIM 30 and DIM 100 sit at the same thresholds. Damping factor exceeds 200, slew rate exceeds 20 V/µs, and the signal-to-noise ratio at the speaker outputs is quoted at 104 dB A-weighted. It's a competent, well-behaved amplifier, not a boutique design.
The metering and indicators are unusually complete for the class. Each channel gets a peak LED that trips 6 dB below maximum and a signal LED at 25 dB below peak. The main output carries a 10-segment meter spanning -27 dB to +6 dB. The effects sends have their own peak indicators. Phantom power is 24 volts DC, commonly switched. That's lower than the 48V standard, and condenser mics that demand full 48V won't be happy. It's a real limitation.
The two versions differ more than the model name suggests. The desktop model measures 508.5 mm wide, 210.3 mm tall, and 478.7 mm deep. The rack-mount version flips those proportions - 483 mm wide, 443.7 mm tall (10 rack units), 195.2 mm deep - and weighs 1.5 kg more. Budget the full 10U if you plan to rack it. Electro-Voice offered a 19-inch rack-ear kit (NRS 90 220, part no. 112 698) plus a gooseneck light (DCN 112700, 12V/2.4W, XLR connector) and a foot switch (DCN 110693, FS11) as accessories.
Power draw is substantial. At 4 ohms with no signal the unit pulls 80-120 watts; at rated output it draws 1600 watts; at one-eighth of maximum output, 600 watts; at one-third, 850 watts. The rated mains supply is 120 volts at 50-60 Hz, with a tolerance of -30% to +10%. At 1600 watts, it wants a dedicated circuit, and a breaker shared with stage lighting will cause trouble.
Mix (July 1998, p.45) ran advertising for the System 2000 line that positioned it for users who wanted concert-grade sound in a package one person could carry, highlighting the Ring Mode Decoupling technology borrowed from the X-Array touring systems. That's marketing copy rather than an independent verdict, and the PSX2000's own 20 kg weight argues against the "carry it yourself" pitch — but the RMD lineage is real, and it speaks to the design intent behind the amplifier section.
The PSX2000 is a workhorse. Its 24-volt phantom and 120-volt-only mains input are real constraints that will rule it out for some users. It suits a bar band, a small house of worship, or a club install that needs a self-contained console and amp with real routing flexibility.
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