Radial ProAV2: A Passive Stereo Multimedia Direct Box for AV and Playback

The Radial ProAV2 is a passive stereo multimedia direct box (DI) that interfaces nearly any playback device with a professional audio system while preserving true left-right stereo separation across two balanced XLR outputs. Designed for audio-video integrators and live-sound technicians, it accepts 3.5-mm, dual 1/4-inch, and RCA inputs, isolates them through custom Eclipse transformers, and sends two clean channels down a snake or into a console, all with no power required. When a stereo laptop, playback deck, or media source has to reach the mixer intact and hum-free, the ProAV2 makes the connection in seconds.

What a Direct Box Actually Does

A direct box lets consumer and line-level gear behave properly on a pro system. It converts unbalanced, high-impedance signals to the balanced, low-impedance form a mixer wants, so the sound survives a long cable run without picking up noise. It matches levels so a laptop or media player sits correctly against the console's inputs. And it isolates grounds, cutting the hum-causing loops between playback gear and the desk. The ProAV2 performs all three passively, on two channels at once, so a full stereo source arrives clean.

True Stereo, Kept Separate

Where a mono-summing box collapses a stereo signal to one channel, the ProAV2 operates in true stereo, or dual mono, keeping the left and right channels fully independent from input to output. That makes it the right tool for stereo devices, laptops, playback decks, and media players, where the imaging and separation of the source need to reach the PA intact. Two balanced XLR outputs let you send both channels through a multichannel snake on stage or into two channels of a mixing console, ready to be panned and mixed as a proper stereo pair.

Eclipse Transformer Isolation

Each channel of the ProAV2 runs through a custom Eclipse ET-DB2 transformer with a 12-to-1 ratio, engineered to withstand the hot signal levels and wide dynamics of modern digital gear. The transformers hold a linear response from 20 Hz to 18.5 kHz with a 128 dB dynamic range and just 0.01 percent distortion, so playback stays warm and natural even when the source is harsh. That same isolation eliminates the hum and buzz caused by ground loops and DC offset, which are common when computers and consumer devices meet a pro console.

Adapter-Free Inputs

Connectivity is built for the reality of an AV gig, where the source device is often unknown until setup. A 3.5-mm stereo jack and dual 1/4-inch and RCA connectors mean you can plug in a laptop headphone output, a playback deck, or a media player quickly and without a bag of adapter cables. The inputs are laid out so a stereo source connects in a single move, keeping setup fast and reliable under show pressure.

Dual Balanced XLR Outputs to the Console

The ProAV2 presents its two channels on balanced, mic-level XLR outputs, the format every professional console and stage snake expects. Because the signal is balanced and low-impedance, it runs long cable distances to front of house without noise pickup, and a ground-lift switch is on hand to break any remaining hum loop. The result is a stereo source delivered to two console channels as cleanly as if it had been recorded there.

Where the ProAV2 Fits

In an AV install, corporate event, or house of worship, the ProAV2 is the quiet, reliable bridge between stereo playback gear and the main system, laptops for presentation audio, playback decks for walk-in music, or media players for video sound. For a live-sound engineer it is the fast, no-power way to get a stereo device onto two mixer channels without noise. Wherever stereo has to be preserved rather than summed, the ProAV2 is the box that keeps the image intact.

Who the ProAV2 Is For

The ProAV2 is for the AV integrator connecting stereo playback sources to a professional system without losing separation; for the live-sound tech who needs a bulletproof, adapter-free stereo DI for laptops and media players; and for the installer who wants Radial's road-proof build in a passive box that never needs power. When a stereo source has to reach the console as a clean, hum-free stereo pair, the ProAV2 is the passive direct box for the job.