2x2 XLR Dante® Audio Wall Plate Converter

What latency settings are available and when should I use each one?

The VLDT-XL22WPUS offers configurable Dante® device latency of 1ms, 2ms, or 5ms, set via Dante® Controller. The 1ms setting is suitable for applications where real-time monitoring is critical and the network is simple with few hops — such as a dedicated Dante® VLAN in a single room or studio. The 2ms setting balances real-time performance with greater network resilience and is appropriate for most professional installations. The 5ms setting provides maximum network stability in larger deployments with many Dante® devices or where longer cable runs create additional latency variation. For most conference room and classroom installations, 2ms is the recommended starting point.

Does the VLDT-XL22WPUS work with AES67 systems from other manufacturers?

Yes. The VLDT-XL22WPUS supports AES67 RTP audio transport, the internationally accepted interoperability standard that allows Dante® devices to communicate with Ravenna, Livewire, Q-LAN, and other AES67-compatible networked audio systems. This means the wall plate can send and receive audio to and from mixing consoles, DSPs, and hearing loop systems from manufacturers outside the Dante® ecosystem, provided those devices support the AES67 standard. AES67 mode is configured within Dante® Controller.

Can I use condenser microphones with the VLDT-XL22WPUS?

Yes. Each of the two XLR inputs has independent +48V phantom power that can be switched on or off using the dedicated front-panel button on the wall plate. The green LED above each button confirms phantom power status at a glance. This allows you to use condenser microphones (which require phantom power) on one or both inputs simultaneously, or to mix condenser and dynamic microphones across the two inputs. Phantom power is configured at the wall plate itself — no software or control system access is required.

How many Dante® audio channels does the VLDT-XL22WPUS support?

The VLDT-XL22WPUS supports 2 Dante® audio channels in and 2 channels out simultaneously — referred to as 2x2 channel capacity. Both input channels (from the XLR inputs) and both output channels (to the XLR outputs) are available on the Dante® network simultaneously. Audio operates at your choice of 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, or 96kHz sampling rates at 16 or 24-bit depth. All four channels (2 in, 2 out) are independently routable and configurable through Dante® Controller.

Does the VLDT-XL22WPUS require a separate power supply?

Not in most installations. The VLDT-XL22WPUS accepts Power over Ethernet (PoE, IEEE 802.3af Class 1) directly from the network switch, meaning a single Cat6 cable provides both data connectivity and power — no separate power supply, conduit, or electrical work is required at the wall plate location. If your network switch does not support PoE, a 12VDC power supply (500mA, 2-pin 3.5mm Phoenix connector) can be connected to the rear panel as an alternative. Total power consumption is only 3.6W, well within the budget of virtually all managed PoE switches.

What is the difference between the VLDT-XL22WPUS and the VLDT-XL44DB?

The primary differences are form factor and channel count. The VLDT-XL22WPUS is a 2-channel (2x2) Dante® converter in a US 2-gang Decora wall plate, designed for in-wall installation at audio source locations such as podiums, conference tables, and stage positions. The VLDT-XL44DB is a 4-channel (4x4) Dante® bridge in a standard 1U 19-inch rack-mount enclosure, designed for equipment rooms and AV racks. The XL22WPUS uses the Dante® Ultimo platform with latency options of 1, 2, or 5ms and a dynamic range of >90dB; the XL44DB uses the Dante® Embedded Platform (DEP) with latency options of 2, 3, 4, 5, or 10ms and a higher dynamic range of ≥105dB. Choose the VLDT-XL22WPUS for discreet in-wall deployments at point-of-capture; choose the VLDT-XL44DB for rack-based multi-channel signal aggregation.

What network switch does the VLDT-XL22WPUS require?

The VLDT-XL22WPUS requires a standard 100Mbps or Gigabit Ethernet switch — no specialized hardware is needed. For PoE power delivery, the switch must support IEEE 802.3af (PoE Class 1) on the port connected to the wall plate. For Dante® network performance, IGMP snooping should be enabled on the switch to properly manage multicast audio streams, and Dante® traffic should ideally be placed on a dedicated VLAN to separate it from general IT network traffic. Audinate's Dante® network design guide provides detailed switch configuration recommendations for professional installations.

Can the VLDT-XL22WPUS be used in a mixed Dante® and AES67 installation?

Yes. The VLDT-XL22WPUS can operate in both native Dante® mode and AES67 RTP mode, making it suitable for hybrid installations where some devices are Dante®-native and others use AES67. In Dante® mode, the wall plate interoperates with any of the 3,000+ Dante®-enabled products from over 600 manufacturers. In AES67 mode, it can exchange audio with Ravenna, Livewire, Q-LAN, and other AES67-compliant devices. Both modes are managed through Dante® Controller. It is important to note that simultaneous Dante® and AES67 routing to the same channels is not supported — each channel operates in one mode at a time as configured in the controller.

Why Choose Dante® Networking for Professional AV?

Dante® has become the de facto standard for professional networked audio because it runs on standard Gigabit Ethernet infrastructure that most facilities already have in place. Where traditional analog or AES3 digital audio requires dedicated point-to-point wiring for every connection, a single Cat6 cable running to a network switch can carry hundreds of Dante® audio channels simultaneously, dramatically reducing installation complexity and cost. For in-wall deployments like the VLDT-XL22WPUS, this means a single Ethernet run to a wall box provides both microphone connectivity and network audio routing — replacing what would otherwise require separate microphone cable, monitor cable, and power conduit runs between every room position and the AV rack.

For AV integrators and system designers, Dante® delivers key practical advantages: any Dante® device on the network can send audio to any other Dante® device without physical rewiring; routing changes are made entirely in software using the free Dante® Controller application; and the open ecosystem of over 600 manufacturers means mixing consoles, DSPs, amplifiers, and wall plate converters from different brands interoperate seamlessly. The VLDT-XL22WPUS extends this ecosystem to the point of capture — placing a full Dante® audio endpoint directly in the wall where microphones and audio sources are used, rather than requiring analog cable runs back to a rack-mount converter.