Sweetwater Welcomes Turtle AV

Allen & Heath Qu-5 38-channel Digital Mixer

38-in/24-out Digital Mixer with 96kHz XCVI Core, 16 Mic Preamps, 17 Motorized Faders, 7" Capacitive Touchscreen, and 32-in/32-out USB-C Audio Interface
Share
Item ID: Qu5
Allen & Heath Qu-5 38-channel Digital Mixer
Price:$1,999 and 99 cents
Special Financing - Ends Aug 2, 2026. $56/month with 36 month financing*

In Stock!

Add to Cart
Sales engineer photo
Ask An Expert

Our expertly trained Sales Engineers are ready to help!

What is a Sales Engineer?
Sweetwater Gear Exchange

Have one to sell?
Check out Sweetwater's Gear Exchange!
Learn More

Complete Your Order
Product Image - This Item - Allen & Heath Qu-5 38-channel Digital Mixer
Allen & Heath Qu-5 38-channel Digital Mixer
$1,999.99
+
+
=
Buy all:
OR
Allen & Heath Qu-5 38-channel Digital Mixer
In Stock!
Price:$1,999 and 99 cents
Add to Cart
Add to list
Skip to Description
Most Popular Accessories & Related Items
Back to navigation

This article was Written By

Our Product Research Team

Get to know them!

Supreme Portability Meets Advanced XCVI Processing

Blending the svelte form factor of the Qu-16 with the power of Allen & Heath's advanced XCVI processing, the Qu-5 redefines what's possible in a compact digital mixer. This cutting-edge, 38-in/24-out, 96kHz console delivers exceptional performance with six studio-grade Multi-FX engines, each with dedicated returns, and versatile Everything I/O connectivity. At the heart of the Qu-5 is a vibrant 7-inch capacitive touchscreen, enhanced by vivid channel strip displays, four user-definable layers, and eight programmable SoftKeys, offering intuitive control at your fingertips. Additionally, this mixer houses 16 premium digitally controlled mic preamps, engineered for pristine transparency, ultra-low noise, and musical warmth that elevates any live mix. Hands-on control abounds, thanks to 17 smooth 100mm motorized faders and a thoughtfully designed interface. Moreover, the Qu-5's USB-C audio interface and SD card slot provide you with up to 32 channels of recording and playback, with or without a computer. Fully rackmountable and built to handle the demands of modern live sound production, the Allen & Heath Qu-5 empowers you to unlock the full potential of digital mixing, setting a new benchmark in its class.

Flagship processing, now in a compact Qu mixer

The Qu-5 combines the compact portability of the best-selling Qu-16 with the powerful 96kHz FPGA processing of Allen & Heath's acclaimed XCVI Core, the same engine that drives the company's flagship SQ and dLive series. This advanced digital mixer features six cutting-edge Multi-FX engines, each with dedicated return channels, and offers full Everything I/O connectivity for maximum flexibility and expandability. Enhancing its intuitive workflow, the Qu-5 is equipped with a large 7-inch capacitive touchscreen, vivid channel strip displays, customizable layers, and eight programmable SoftKeys, delivering a seamless, hands-on mixing experience in a space-saving design. At Sweetwater, we've worked with Qu series mixers since their original unveiling, and we're genuinely impressed by the Qu-5's elevated capabilities and refined user experience.

All the I/O you need — right where you need it

Designed for maximum flexibility, the Allen & Heath Qu-5 boasts a highly versatile I/O configuration with 36 mix inputs, including 32 mono channels — linkable for stereo operation — and two dedicated stereo channels. Its output architecture features a stereo main LR bus, 12 mix outputs (comprising six mono or linkable auxes and six stereo aux/group mixes), and four matrix outputs that can also be configured as stereo pairs. For physical connectivity, the Qu-5 includes 16 XLR mic/line combo jacks, two stereo line input pairs (each with dual TRS connectors), and a dedicated talkback input. On the output side, it offers 12 XLR outputs, two TRS outputs, and a stereo AES3 digital output, ensuring seamless integration into both live sound and studio production environments.

Multitrack recording made effortless

Recording with the Qu-5 is refreshingly straightforward. It features a 32-in/32-out USB-C audio interface, allowing seamless integration with your DAW for multitrack recording and playback. For standalone operation, the built-in SD card slot supports 32-channel recording and playback at up to 48kHz and supports 16 channels at 96kHz, eliminating the need for a computer. Additionally, a USB-A port enables stereo recording, playback, and data transfer.

Allen & Heath Qu-5 Features:

  • Next-gen, 38-in/24-out, 96kHz digital mixer blending the Qu-32's svelte form factor with advanced XCVI processing
  • 6 Multi-FX engines, each with dedicated returns, lend a studio-quality sheen to your mixes
  • Versatile Everything I/O connectivity ensures maximum flexibility and expandability
  • Vibrant 7-in. capacitive touchscreen offers easy access to channel strips, FX, and more
  • Vivid channel strip displays, 4 user-definable layers, and 8 programmable SoftKeys put intuitive control at your fingertips
  • 36 mix inputs, including 32 mono channels — linkable for stereo operation — and 2 dedicated stereo channels
  • 16 premium digitally controlled mic preamps, engineered for pristine transparency, ultra-low noise, and musical warmth
  • 17 smooth 100mm motorized faders and a thoughtfully designed interface provide intuitive hands-on control
  • USB-C audio interface and SD card slot provide you with up to 32 channels of recording and playback
  • Fully rackmountable and built to handle the demands of modern live sound production

Resources

Warranty Info

Sweetwater's FREE 2-Year Total Confidence Coverage Warranty

Extra peace of mind at no extra cost.

  • Save money with FREE parts and labor
  • Get back to making music with the industry's fastest turnaround time
  • Fix it the first time with our award-winning, factory-certified Service Department
Learn More about Total Confidence Coverage
Back to navigation

Tech Specs

  • Type: Digital Mixer
  • Channels: 38
  • Inputs - Mic Preamps: 16 x XLR-1/4" (mic/line)
  • Phantom Power: 16 Channels
  • Inputs - Other: 4 x 1/4" (2 Stereo In)
  • Outputs - Main: 2 x XLR (left, right)
  • Outputs - Direct: 10 x XLR
  • Outputs - Other: 2 x 1/4" (alt)
  • Outputs - Digital: 1 x XLR (AES/EBU)
  • Talkback: 1 x XLR
  • Data I/O: 1 x EtherCon (SLink), 1 x RJ45
  • Headphones: 1 x 1/4"
  • USB: 1 x USB-A, 1 x USB-C
  • Computer Connectivity: USB-C (32x32)
  • Remote: 1 x Footswitch
  • Faders: 17 x 100m Motorized Faders
  • A/D Resolution: 96kHz
  • EQ Bands: 4-band parametric
  • Features: 96kHz FPGA Core
  • Screen: 7" Capacitive Touchscreen
  • Storage: SD card slot
  • Software: Remote control via free apps - Windows/MacOS/iOS/Android
  • Rackmountable: Yes (kit sold separately)
  • Power Source: IEC Main Connection w/Worldwide PSU
  • Height: 8.3"
  • Depth: 18.7"
  • Width: 17.3"
  • Weight: 22 lbs.
  • Manufacturer Part Number: AH-QU-5

What Makes Our Sales Engineers Great?

Sweetwater Sales Engineers are a world-class team of experts dedicated to you. Hand selected from across the globe, each brings a wealth of experience and expertise in the world of music gear to provide you with unparalleled service completely free of charge. Friendly relationships, real trust, and the right gear are only a call or a click away!

Back to navigation

Reviews

Mixer Digital
Excelente Sonido
Great Mixer
We upgraded from a 25 year old mixer. The A&H QU5 was a great upgrade. Very eazy to program. Sweetwater tech-support was GREAT and helped when i needed it.
Tough Mixer for an intermediate user to figure out, but worth learning
I bought this mixer from Sweetwater hoping it would resolve the intermittent dropouts I was experiencing with my Allen & Heath CQ-18T. Right out of the gate, during our first full session, it performed flawlessly—zero dropouts, rock-solid stability throughout. So far, it's a definite win and a clear upgrade in reliability.The learning curve is steeper than the CQ-18T's intuitive, plug-and-play design, which excels at getting users up and running quickly with minimal fuss. This mixer requires more time to explore and configure, but that's proving worthwhile: as I dive deeper into its features and customization options, I'm genuinely excited about the potential to optimize it perfectly for our live sound setup. The added depth and control should deliver significant long-term gains.The preamps sound outstanding—clean, warm, and detailed—and the recorded tracks are coming through with excellent clarity and quality. Overall performance has been impressive, and I fully expect it to shine even brighter once I've mastered more of its capabilities.On a separate but important note, Sweetwater's reputation for top-tier customer service was a big reason I chose them—and it lived up to the hype. I received a single, thoughtful call from representative Aaron Cieslikowski, who left a friendly voicemail offering genuine support without any pressure or follow-up spam calls. In short He simply said, "We've got your back if you need anything." That's exactly the kind of low-key, helpful service every musician hopes for—no endless calls, no upselling, just real backup when it matters which gives a great amount of confidence in my purchase.Thank you, Sweetwater, and thank you, Aaron Cieslikowski—you truly deliver on what makes this company stand out. Highly recommended!
Music background: Worship leader, song writer, church
Excellent mixer
Excellent mixer. Preamps and built-in processing sound fantastic. Easy to mix on, touch-screen is very responsive, layers are intuitive. You can connect two IPADs to mix out front, manage monitors or watch meters, etc. Piece of cake to connect another 16 channels with digital stagebox (I use AB168). Super-easy to record all 32 channels to SD card and drop into DAW after a gig to mix down. The anti-feedback works well: when a guest musician came onstage with an acoustic and it was on edge of feeding back, and the AFS filters popped in and saved us. I own or have owned a number of other Allen Heath digital mixers (SQ-5, QU-24, CQ18T) and had a Midas M32R in past, so am in a good spot to compare/evaluate. And Sweetwater's service is as responsive as always (I have been a customer for 20+ years) - after an initial glitch, they shipped a new mixer, was on my doorstep within 24 hours. Kudos to Kurt Martin and the Sweetwater team.
Easy transition from analog to digital!
So, disclaimer - I am a huge Allen & Heath fan. I've used MixWz 16 and GL2800. Never had any issues (other than minor losing a channel, losing mute button...). Our church was re-organizing some space and needed a small format mixer. I took a plunge and got this board - cant beat the price! Took me a bit to learn the ropes but not difficult at all once I connected the mics and instruments. Very easy to get great sound! Oh, man, the sound! Awesome. I need to still figure out some stuff but overall, no regret at all and I'm getting a lot of compliments.