Radial Engineering SB-5

I bought this product to use at school, so I didn't have to bring a heavy interface with me. The SB-5 is sturdy built, as are all Radial products. As far as the connections go; it's a pity there is only one XLR connection, but I guess that's the compromise you have to take if you want something small and light. It is very compact and easy to transport, thanks to the brackets to hide the cable. It's also very lightweight.

One bigger con is that it gives a hum in some situations, which is very unfortunate. It's isn't problematic in rehearsals, but when on stage it was a little too loud.

Lovely piece of kit when you need to patch a laptop, mobile phone or tablet into the PA system. Just be aware that even this little thing can't make MP3s sound good. If your source is an MP3 then this box will pretty much just provide hum isolation but if your source is lossless or uncompressed then you will notice a bit more life in the sound compared to just using a direct lead from the device into a line input port on the desk. Having the captive cable with the compact moulded 3.5mm jack on the end keeps everything neat and tidy. Just be careful not to damage the captive lead of course.