This unit is in good working order with various cosmetic blemishes that may clean up well. There is a bit of paint flaking near the front of the top panel, but the front panel and ladder LED indicators are in VG condition.
This dbx 160X is in Fair to Good condition. It is one of the earlier versions manufactured in Japan, before Harmon Kardon bought the company and moved the production to China.
Some general specifications from dbx:
FRONT PANEL
BYPASS SWITCH AND INDICATOR
Depressing the BYPASS button creates a "hard-wire bypass" of the 160X's circuitry by connecting the input directly to the output; the LED above the switch turns ON in Bypass mode.
SLAVE SWITCH AND INDICATOR
Depressing the SLAVE button on one 160X of a stereo pair determines that the other 160X will be the Master (the controlling unit). The LED above the SLAVE button turns ON when the 160X is in SLAVE mode, indicating that the front panel functions (with the exception of BYPASS and DISPLAY select switches) are deactivated and under control of the Master 160X. When neither 160X is in SLAVE mode, each will operate normally as a mono compressor/limiter.
THRESHOLD CONTROL
Adjusting this knob sets the threshold of compression from -40 dBm (7.8 mV) to 20 dBm (7.8 V). In hard-knee compression mode, the threshold is defined as that point above which the output level no longer changes on a 1:1 basis with changes in the input level. In Over Easy mode, the threshold of compression is defined as the approximate middle of the Over Easy threshold region.
OVER EASY SWITCH
Depressing this button changes the threshold mode to dbx's Over Easy characteristic, and allows the middle (amber) THRESHOLD LED to turn ON when the signal is in the Over Easy region. When this button is out. the 160X operates as a hard- knee compressor/limiter.
THRESHOLD INDICATORS
These three LEDs indicate the relationship of the input signal level to the threshold of compression. The green "BELOW" LED is ON when the signal is below threshold and the red "ABOVE" LED is ON when the signal is above threshold. When the 160X is switched to Over Easy mode, the amber LED is ON when the signal is in the Over Easy region.
COMPRESSION RATIO CONTROL
Rotating this control in a clockwise direction increases the maximum amount of compression from 1:1 (no compression) up to infinity:! (no increase in RMS output regardless of input level increases above threshold); further clockwise rotation increases compression into the INFINITY+ region, up to a maximum of-1:1 (i.e.,a 1 dB decrease in input level causes a 1 dB increase'in output level). In the INFINITY+ region, the 160X inverts the program dynamics for special effects.
OUTPUT GAIN CONTROL
Adjusting this control varies the amount of fixed gain (up to ±20 dB) in the 160X's output amplifier stage. The OUTPUT GAIN control does not interact with the threshold of compression.
DISPLAY FUNCTION SWITCH AND INDICATORS
Depressing this button causes the upper LED array to display the INPUT level to the 160X. With the button out, the OUTPUT signal level is displayed. A pair of LEDs immediately above the DISPLAY switch indicates the selected display status.
LEVEL AND GAIN REDUCTION DISPLAYS
The upper row of 19 LEDs displays either the INPUT or OUTPUT level, as selected with the DISPLAY switch. This display is factory set so that 0 dB is equivalent to +4 dBm input or output level (1.23 V rms), but may be reset with the rear panel METER CALIBRATION trimmer.
The lower row of 12 LEDs displays up to 40 dB of GAIN REDUCTION being caused by the 160X. (Fixed gain changes commanded by the OUTPUT GAlNcontrol are not displayed by the gain change LEDs but are reflected in the output level display.)
REAR PANEL
SIGNAL INPUT JACK AND TERMINALS
The TIp/R ing/Sleeve phone jack and barrier strip are wired in parallel; either SIGNAL INPUT accepts the incoming audio signal for processing by the 160X. The phone jack accepts a standard 3-circuit 1/4-inch (6.3 mm) phone plug for a balanced input source, or a 2-circuit (Tip/Sleeve) phone plug for an unbalanced source.
DETECTOR INPUT (DET IN) TERMINALS
The 160X comes from the factory with these terminals connected to the adjacent SIGNAL INPUT (+) and (—) terminals by metal straps. By removing the strapping, the detector input can be separated from the signal input for special processing applications.
SIGNAL OUTPUT JACK AND TERMINALS
The Tip/Ring/Sleeve phone jack and barrier strip are wired in parallel; either SIGNAL OUTPUT feeds the program from the 160X to the next device in the audio path. As supplied from the factory, the output (—) is internally connected to the output ('?) whenever the 160X is not in bypass mode.
METER CALIBRATION CONTROL
This screw-driver adjustable trimmer may be used to precisely calibrate the front panel's upper LED display so a 0 dB INPUT or OUTPUT level is equivalent to any signal level from —15 dBm (138 mV) to +10 dBm (2.45 V).
STRAPPING JACK
When a suitable patch cord (Tip/Ring/ Sleeve phone plugs on a 2-conductor, shielded cable) joins this connector to the STRAPPING jack on another Model 160X, and when one of the units is switched to SLAVE mode, the two units may then be utilized for processing a stereo program.
The Model 160X requires a
maximum of 8 watts AC power.
SPECIFICATIONS
Input Impedance: Signal input: 50 k0, unbalanced; 100 kft, balanced.
Detector input: 230 kf2, unbalanced; 460 kf2, balanced.
Input Level: +24 dBm maximum
Output Impedance: 22 ohms, designed to drive 600 ohms or greater
Output Level: +24 dBm into 600 ohms or greater
Threshold Range: Variable from -40 to +20 dBm (7.8 mV to 7.8 V RMS)
Compression Ratio: Over Easy: Program-dependent, aflected by THRESHOLD, COMPRESSION
RATIO settings (COMPRESSION RATIO control determines maximum
compression ratio), continuously variable from 1:1 to infinity:1 to -1:1.
Hard-knee: COMPRESSION RATIO setting defines exact compression ratio,
continuously variable from 1:1 to infinity:1 to -1:1
Maximum Compression: >60dB
Threshold Characteristic: Over Easy or hard-knee (switch selectable)
Attack Time: Program-dependent: 15 ms for 10 dB increase in input level (above
threshold), 5 ms for 20 dB, 3 ms for 30 dB.
Release Time: Program-dependent; varies automatically from 0-500 ms, affected by
settings of front panel controls.
Output Gain: Variable from -20 to +20 dB.
Slew Rate: >10V/us
Dynamic Range: >113dB
Equivalent Input Noise (unweighted): <-89 dBm, 20 Hz - 20 kHz.
Frequency Response: +0, -1dB, 20Hz - 20kHz.
Distortion Below Threshold: 2nd harmonic 0.07%; 3rd harmonic 0.07%.
Distortion Above Threshold: 2nd harmonic 0.07%; 3rd harmonic 0.02%.
Metering: 19 LED INPUT or OUTPUT display from -4O to +20 dB, 12 LED GAIN
REDUCTION display from -1 to -40 dB.
Meter Zero Set: -15 dBm to +10 dBm
Indicators: BELOW/threshold/ABOVE (green, yellow, red), INPUT (red), OUTPUT (red),
SLAVE (yellow), BYPASS (red).
Controls and Switches: THRESHOLD, COMPRESSION RATIO, OUTPUT GAIN, DISPLAY function
switch, meter zero adjust, BYPASS switch, SLAVE switch, OVER EASY switch.
Connectors: Input/output: TRS phone jacks and barrier terminal.
Detector: barrier terminal
Strapping: TRS phone jack
