New York, NY (July 15, 2026)—When the Audix D6 was introduced in the early 2000s, it was well-received as a “pre-EQ’d” kick drum microphone with a voicing that appealed to a variety of users, while simultaneously falling quite comfortably into the hard rock and metal genres. The success of the original D6 cannot be denied: It’s become a staple on stage and in studio mic lockers, but some engineers find that the D6’s voicing is a bit “over the top” for certain applications.

Enter the Audix D6X, a dynamic microphone with a twist on the original D6. While the two microphones appear identical at a casual glance, a closer look at the D6X reveals an engraved “X” on one side of the body, below which lives a three-position switch. This switch is the raison d’être for the D6X, offering three different EQ curves.

The lowest position (labeled with a deep “V” and “D6”) retains the voicing of the original D6, with a boost of approximately 5 dB around 40 Hz, a midrange scoop of almost 17 dB in the region between 700 and 800 Hz, and a gentle boost of a few dB that starts around 4.5 kHz, continues out to about 15 k, then rolls off. The middle switch position (labeled with a flatter V-shaped graphic) provides a more balanced—some would say “tamer”—version of the D6 sound, with a slightly reduced boost in the low end, significantly less cut in the midrange (maximum cut around 8 dB between 500 and 600 Hz) and a similar boost in the top end. Finally, the top “natural” position of the switch (labeled with an even flatter ”V”) removes the bass boost, decreases the midrange cut to about 5 dB, and moves the HF peak to around 3 kHz, rolling off above 7 kHz.

[Note: Published specs for the original D6 have varied over the course of its 25-year history, so my description of the “V D6” curve may not match what you see in published data when viewing the frequency response curve for the D6, particularly in the highfrequency portion of the curve.]

Dimensions of the D6X are almost identical to those of the D6, the difference being a slight increase in length: 5.4 inches overall for the D6X versus 4.6 inches for the original. Construction employs a precision-machined aluminum body, black anodized finish and a steel mesh grille.

The D6X cardioid capsule incorporates Audix VLM (Very Low Mass) diaphragm technology, which is designed to extend low-frequency response and improve transient response. The output is transformerless, with an impedance of 280Ω. Frequency range is stated as 25 Hz to 17 kHz (-6 dB), maximum SPL is 144 dB, and sensitivity is spec’d at 0.842 mVrms/Pa @ 75 Hz (0.5 meter). As with most Audix microphones, the D6X is manufactured in the U.S. It ships with a soft zippered pouch and a DCLIP mic stand clip.

I used the Audix D6X in the studio and on stage for a variety of applications, though it’s almost a given that the mic will most frequently be used on kick drum. My tests also included A/B comparisons of the D6X to the D6 on kick, rack tom, floor tom and bass amp, using an API 3124 (4-channel) microphone preamp.

KICK DRUM

In the interest of staging a fair fight, I placed the two mics side-by-side in front of a hole in the front kick head on a 22-inch Pearl Masters Series kick drum. Neither mic was placed precisely where I’d want it, which would be dead-center of the hole, because they simply occupied too much space. So, I split the difference in the initial comparison and did later trials with the D6X placed in my preferred location.

When the D6X was set to the D6 curve, the results were as expected: the microphones sounded virtually the same. Matched settings on the API 3124 yielded similar (if not identical) levels. I thought that the D6X might be ever-so-slightly extended in the low end, resulting in a tad more whump, but these subtle differences could be due to placement or due to the difference between a brand-new mic (the D6X) and one with high mileage (the D6).

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Changing the D6X switch to the middle position/medium curve reduced low end and increased midrange, the subjective impression being that the D6X produced much more midrange snap compared to the D6. The top switch/mild curve setting on the D6X clearly differentiated it from the D6: This least-EQ’d setting yielded a flatter sound with tighter low end and restoration of the mids in the range of 500 Hz. I found this setting to be a bit on the vanilla side of the spectrum, but YMMV.

I then removed the D6 from the kick drum, changed the D6X switch to the middle position, and placed the mic at the center of the hole. Compared to the D6, low end was reduced and midrange was increased, the objective impression being that the D6X had much more midrange punch.

The difference between the middle switch position and the “D6” setting was not as pronounced as I was expecting, but if you’ve ever felt that the original D6 curve was too over-the- top, then the middle position will make you happy. This placement and switch setting was my favorite for kick drum. When I used the D6X on-stage with this setup, I felt like the mic produced sufficient low end without worry that it would be overbearing.

TOMS AND BASS AMP

As advertised(!), when the D6X was set to the D6 curve, it sounded identical to the D6 (no surprise). The middle curve made the tom sound more midrange-forward, capturing less of the shell and more of the head. Changing the switch to the mild curve made the D6X sound like it was placed on a different drum compared to the D6: much more midrange-y, less warm, not as round-sounding and producing more in the “boing” department.

As good as the D6 and D6X can be on kick drum, they kill on floor toms. The mics sounded identical when the D6X was set to the D6 curve—great balance of lows to highs, plenty of attack and great capture of the bottom end.

Changing the D6X to the middle curve made the floor tom a little more polite; the bottom was not as extended, while the midrange and HFs seemed more pronounced, but this could be the reduced bottom end making the tom appear brighter. Some might say the middle position produces a “cleaner” or “midrange-forward” sound on floor tom. At the mild curve setting, the D6X sounded nasal to me, producing less from the shell and more from the drumhead than I care to hear.

Both mics sounded great on bass amp. I thought that the D6X might have captured a tad more of the attack of the pick on the strings, but this could have been due to slight variations in placement. The middle curve of the D6X produced more growl and snap, while the mild curve can clean up any low end you might have doubts about. If the D6 has the ability to make the lowest octave on a bass a bit sloppy, the medium switch position on the D6X takes that away, subjectively resulting in more attack and tighter bottom. The mild curve on the D6X worked really well for a punk rock bass sound: tight, throaty and lean.

First and foremost, the Audix D6X must be judged against the baseline that Audix itself has established: When set to the “D6” curve, does the D6X sound identical to the original D6? Yes, it does.

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Next, we can evaluate the mic on its own merits. The two additional EQ curves are truly useful, taming the D6 mojo for situations that require it, while offering a third option that unmistakably takes the microphone into different sonic territory.

Pricing for the D6X is about $110 (street) higher than that of the D6, but it’s definitely worth the extra bucks and provides a wide range of voices. If you’re looking for a microphone to use on kick drum and/or bass amp, you should definitely take a listen to the Audix D6X.