Strymon PCH X2 Stereo Active DI Isolator

The Strymon PCH X2 is a stereo active DI isolator engineered to eliminate the audio degradation that plagues budget–to–premium direct boxes. Unlike units often sold as high–end that distort low frequencies and mask signal integrity, the PCH X2 maintains sonic transparency as its primary design objective. Built on phantom–powered transformer isolation per channel, this unit handles unbalanced instrument signals and converts them to balanced XLR outputs with measurable fidelity: frequency response stays within ±0.5 dB from 10 Hz to 80 kHz, and total harmonic distortion sits at just 0.0007% at 1 kHz.

Construction centres on a bulletproof 3 mm extruded aluminium chassis with 5 mm ribs, protecting circuitry on loud stages and in studio environments alike. Each channel passes through a custom audio transformer, offering genuine galvanic isolation to eliminate ground loops. Ground lift switches, three–position high–pass filters (80 Hz and 240 Hz rolloff points), and a defeatable Sum function allow mono and stereo operation without rewiring. The X2 adds phase reversal on the left channel and a Sum mode that merges inputs; each unit also features non–buffered 1/4" Thru outputs for feeding amps or monitors independently, whilst XLR outputs deliver line–level balanced signals at 100 Ω impedance with a noise floor of −123 dBu.

The compact form factor–3.66" long by 4.20" wide for the X2–means dual–channel isolation fits pedalboards, racks, and monitor consoles without bulk. Maximum input level of +20.5 dBu accommodates hot sources, whilst the −20 dB gain staging provides headroom before the balanced outputs reach their +0.5 dBu ceiling. This makes the PCH X2 equally suited to tracking direct bass and keyboards in the studio, splitting stereo digital audio for monitoring, or isolating noisy instruments on stage.

Features

• Dual–channel transformer–isolated active DI with galvanic isolation per channel
• Frequency response ±0.5 dB, 10 Hz–80 kHz; THD 0.0007% at 1 kHz
• Ground lift and three–position high–pass filters (off, 80 Hz, 240 Hz) on each input
• Phantom power operation (5 mA per channel at +48 VDC); power LEDs per channel
• Phase reversal switch on left XLR output; defeatable Sum mode for mono operation
• Balanced XLR outputs and unbalanced 1/4" Thru outputs on each channel
• 3 mm aluminium chassis with 5 mm ribs; dimensions 3.66" × 4.20" × 1.54"
• Input impedance 2 MΩ; output impedance 100 Ω; noise floor −123 dBu