If you want a mixer for live mixing, recording, and content creation that can handle many input channels, choose Mackie ProFX16v3; if you need headphones designed to support mixing through modeled reference spaces, choose Slate Media Technology Steven Slate Audio. For jogging, neither product is designed as a jogging-first audio choice: Mackie is a powered mixer, while Slate is a wired, over-ear studio headphone. The better pick depends on whether your actual need is a mixing hub or a headphone reference system.
Mackie ProFX16v3 vs Slate Media Technology Steven Slate Audio at a Glance
• Slate Media Technology Steven Slate Audio: Its closed-back headphones pair with Mac/PC modeling software and virtual reference spaces, making them the focused choice for headphone-based mixing. The trade-off is that they are wired over-ear headphones, not a wireless jogging option.
• Choose Mackie if you need to mix multiple sources, add effects, and send audio to a computer.
• Choose Slate if you need headphones and software aimed at checking mixes against modeled listening environments.
The Mackie ProFX16v3 is a mixer first, not a pair of headphones. Its 16 channels and 4 buses suit a setup where several audio sources need to come together, whether that means a live performance, a home recording project, or content creation involving multiple inputs. Onyx microphone preamps provide 60 dB of headroom, and the mixer includes 24 built-in effects. That combination gives a user more to work with at the input and mixing stages without making the mixer itself a headphone-only tool.
For recording, the mixer offers 2x4 USB I/O, supports 24-bit/192 kHz recording, and includes zero-latency hardware monitoring. In practical terms, that feature set is relevant to someone who wants to route audio between the mixer and a computer and monitor through the hardware while recording. Pro Tools | First and Waveform OEM recording software and plug-in packages are included. The bundle also contains Tascam TH-02 closed-back headphones and a hard headphone case, but those accessories do not change the main role of the Mackie: it is a powered mixing and recording hub.
This could be the right choice if you need multiple channels, onboard effects, and USB recording in one piece of equipment. It is not the sensible pick for someone seeking a simple set of headphones for a run or a compact way to listen while moving around. The corded-electric power source and mixer format make it a stationary setup component, not a jogging companion.
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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-21 · 8 min read · Independent comparison
Steven Slate Audio VSX Essentials Edition is a headphone-and-software package for people working on mixes. The headphones are closed-back and over-ear, and the included modeling software is described as compatible with Mac/PC VST and AAX Native. Its key distinction from a conventional headphone-only choice is the modeling approach: the package includes a sampling of virtual reference spaces intended to let a listener assess a mix in more than one modeled environment. That may be useful when the room itself is a challenge and the user wants headphone-based reference options.
The product description identifies beryllium drivers and an APS system intended to optimize low end. It also describes the headphones as rugged enough for studio conditions, including sweat, humidity, drops, temperature variation, and extended high-volume listening. A no-tangle cable is included in the design description. The listed connection is wired, with a 3.5 mm headphone jack; the provided details also list Bluetooth as wireless technology, but do not describe a specific wireless operating mode. For a decision based on the stated features, it is safer to treat these as wired headphones rather than assume they are suitable for a wireless workout.
Choose Slate if your main goal is to work on audio mixes using headphones and modeled reference spaces, rather than to combine several microphones and instruments in a mixer. The product information lists a 20 Hz–20,000 Hz frequency range, 37-ohm impedance, a dynamic driver, passive noise control, and volume control. Those details help identify the headphone format, but they do not make this a multi-channel recording device or a jogging-specific headset.
Who should skip it: Skip Slate if your priority is a mixer with many inputs, onboard effects, and USB audio routing, or if you need headphones explicitly built around wireless jogging use.
• Best for bringing multiple sources together → Mackie ProFX16v3. Its 16 channels and 4 buses point to a broader mixing role than Slate’s headphone package.
• Best for built-in mixing effects → Mackie ProFX16v3. It includes 24 effects, so a user can work with effects at the mixer rather than relying only on headphone software.
• Best for computer-based recording through a mixer → Mackie ProFX16v3. Its 2x4 USB I/O, 24-bit/192 kHz recording capability, and zero-latency hardware monitoring are relevant to that workflow.
• Best for headphone-based mix references → Slate Media Technology Steven Slate Audio. The VSX package combines closed-back headphones with software and modeled reference spaces.
• Best for someone who needs a complete mixer-centered bundle → Mackie ProFX16v3. The package includes the mixer, USB cable, power cord, headphones, and a hard headphone case, along with recording software packages.
• Best for someone who already has a mixer and wants specialized headphones → Slate Media Technology Steven Slate Audio. Its role is more focused on the listening and reference side of audio work.
• Best for jogging? Neither is a clear fit. Mackie is a cord-powered mixer; Slate is described as wired, over-ear headphones. The listed features do not establish either as a jogging-first product.
• Best for a multi-input live setup → Mackie ProFX16v3. Slate’s headphones may support mix checking, but they do not replace the mixer’s channels, buses, or USB routing.
These are different kinds of products, so the choice is not simply a matter of one being a more advanced version of the other. Mackie handles the work of mixing and routing. Slate focuses on how a finished or developing mix is heard through headphones and modeled listening spaces. If you are comparing them because both appear in an audio-workflow search, start by asking whether you need to manage sources or evaluate sound.
First, pin down the job you want the product to do. If you need to connect and balance multiple audio sources, the Mackie’s 16 channels and 4 buses are directly relevant. If the need is to listen to a mix through headphones and use modeled reference spaces, Slate is the more directly targeted option. Buying the wrong category can leave you with capable equipment that does not solve your actual problem.
Next, consider where the equipment will live. Mackie requires corded electric power and has a USB connection, which points to a setup used near power and other recording equipment. Slate has an over-ear, wired design and a 3.5 mm jack. Those details are more natural for a listening or studio station than for a workout where a cable may get in the way. Neither sheet establishes water resistance, a jogging fit, or a purpose-built wireless sports design.
Think about the rest of your system, too. Mackie includes recording software packages and a USB cable, while Slate’s software support is stated as Mac/PC VST and AAX Native. Those are not interchangeable workflows: one product centers on a mixer with USB I/O, while the other centers on headphones and software modeling. Check that the connections and software formats make sense for the equipment and computer you intend to use.
Finally, keep the jogging search in perspective. People looking for the best true wireless earbuds for jogging are asking for a very different form factor from either of these products. Someone searching for over ear headphones for jogging may at least recognize Slate’s over-ear design, but the listed wired connection still matters. And a shopper looking for the best bluetooth kids headphones for jogging should not infer a child-focused fit or workout suitability from these product details; neither sheet describes those needs. For current price information, check the Amazon button on the page rather than relying on a figure here.
In my opinion, I would choose Mackie ProFX16v3 if I needed one of these products for a home or live setup, because its channels, buses, effects, and USB recording features do a broader production job. I would choose Slate instead if headphone-based mix references were the main requirement. For jogging, I would not treat either as the straightforward answer: Mackie is a mixer, and Slate is a wired over-ear headphone package. My recommendation for jogging is to look for a product specifically described for that use rather than stretch either of these into it.
It is a 16-channel, 4-bus mixer with USB features, built-in effects, and recording software packages. The bundle also includes closed-back headphones and a hard case, but the mixer is the main product.
The product information lists a wired connection and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Although Bluetooth appears in the connectivity details, the available information does not explain a specific wireless mode, so I would not assume it works as a wireless jogging headset.
That depends on the part of the recording process you need. Mackie provides mixer channels, USB I/O, built-in effects, and hardware monitoring; Slate provides headphones and modeling software for headphone-based mix references.
No. Mackie is a mixer, not earbuds, and Slate is described as over-ear headphones with a wired connection. Neither product’s listed features establish it as a true-wireless jogging option.
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