Las Vegas, NV (April 22, 2026)—Mix is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 Best of Show Award for the NAB Show.
The Best of Show 2026 awards are designed to honor products exhibiting at the NAB Show, acknowledging the very best on display at this year’s convention. The various Future Best of Show awards were presented by the industry-leading brands of Future plc—not only Mix, but also TV Tech, Radio World, Sound & Video Contractor, ITPro and TVBEurope. The winners of the various brands’ awards were selected by panels of professional users and magazine and site editors.
The winning products were (in alphabetical order):
Allen & Heath Avantis Ultra Digital Mixer
Clear-Com FreeSpeak Cell
Ross Video Lama
Sennheiser HD 480 PRO Headphones
Shure SLX-D+ Wireless Microphone System
The following is unedited promotional information on the winning products, as provided by the manufacturers.
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Allen & Heath Avantis Ultra Digital Mixer
The Allen & Heath Avantis Ultra digital mixer provides 96 mono input processing channels, 12 stereo FX returns, 8 stereo RackUltra FX sends and returns, and 56 flexible mix buses.
With our 96kHz XCVI FPGA engine, Avantis Ultra puts all our next-generation technology in a stand-alone 96 channel / 56 configurable bus console, with dual Full HD touchscreens, a super-flexible workflow with Continuity UI, extensive I/O options, included DEEP processing and RackUltra FX from our flagship dLive mixing systems, and a rugged full-metal chassis.
The console is also fully compatible with all the dLive I/O cards, the full ‘Everything I/O’ range and IP controllers.
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Clear-Com FreeSpeak Cell
Clear-Com FreeSpeak Cell is designed to operate over public and private LTE and 5G networks, enabling full-duplex wireless intercom across wide geographic areas without relying on traditional radio frequency coordination. FreeSpeak Cell directly addresses increasing congestion in UHF, DECT and Wi-Fi bands, particularly in large venues and high-density live event environments.
Unlike traditional wireless intercom systems constrained by local spectrum and physical coverage boundaries, FreeSpeak Cell leverages cellular networks to support communications across much larger areas with fewer on‑site components. “FreeSpeak Cell represents a shift in how productions approach wireless intercom,” said Bob Boster, president of Clear-Com. “We are applying carrier-grade cellular infrastructure to professional communications, expanding both scale and coverage.”
FreeSpeak Cell is intended for large‑scale and distributed environments where conventional wireless systems can face channel limits, coverage constraints or spectrum coordination challenges.
The system supports deployments of 50 or more beltpacks and can scale to hundreds of users depending on network configuration. Because it operates over LTE and 5G, coverage can extend beyond a single building or compound, enabling communications across large properties or distributed production areas.
FreeSpeak Cell complements Clear‑Com’s existing FreeSpeak wireless intercom portfolio, extending communications beyond the physical limits of traditional RF‑based systems. While FreeSpeak II is optimized for contained venues and localized productions, FreeSpeak Cell is designed for large, distributed environments that require wide‑area coverage, high user density and seamless communication across campuses, venues or geographically dispersed production zones.
Unlike traditional DECT- or UHF-based systems that require local transceivers positioned throughout a venue, FreeSpeak Cell leverages existing cellular infrastructure. In venues with private LTE or 5G networks, the system can operate over that infrastructure. In other environments, it can utilize public carrier networks where coverage and policies permit.
This approach can reduce the amount of on-site RF equipment required for large-scale deployments and simplify coordination in spectrum-constrained markets.
The system is designed to support voice communications alongside other workflows running on the same network, including data applications and video transport, subject to network configuration and bandwidth availability.
By relying on cellular infrastructure rather than venue‑specific RF transceivers, FreeSpeak Cell can significantly reduce the amount of temporary equipment, cabling and frequency coordination typically required for large productions. This model allows teams to deploy communications more quickly, scale systems more easily and adapt to changing production layouts without rebuilding RF coverage maps.
There are several key industry factors contributing to the move toward cellular-based communications. These include increasing congestion in traditional wireless intercom bands, government-led spectrum reallocations that have reduced available UHF spectrum in some regions and expanded investment in private LTE and 5G infrastructure at venues in the United States and Europe.
CBRS spectrum in the United States, in particular, has enabled enterprises and venue operators to deploy private LTE networks for operational systems, including communications, point-of-sale, access control and video replay.
FreeSpeak Cell is designed to integrate with those deployments while maintaining compatibility with Clear-Com’s broader intercom ecosystem.
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Ross Video Lama
Ross Video’s Lama provides an advanced ecosystem of modern, software-based audio production tools designed to streamline, enhance, and simplify live audio workflows. Whether operated by seasoned audio engineers or streaming content creators, Lama is built for speed, flexibility, and integration.
Combining advanced signal processing with simple intuitive control, Lama AutoMix delivers intelligent, reliable, and transparent automixing that prioritizes natural sound, smooth transitions, and predictable behavior. Designed to meet the growing demands of complex, fast-paced broadcast and live events, its adaptive DSP and AI-based processing automatically balance speech, background audio, and ambient sound in real time. Lama AutoMix’s seamless processing supports a breadth of broadcast types, including broadcast news, sports, houses of worship, and corporate events.
Lama Mix provides a powerful software audio mixer that delivers the control of a professional-grade hardware console in a flexible and scalable software environment. Developed with top broadcast engineers and built to prioritize speed and simplicity, Lama Mix supports extensive channel counts, advanced processing, multi-screen visualization and preset-based workflows. Ready for any environment, Lama Mix enables operators to manage complex live productions with ease.
And rounding out the Lama suite is Lama Connect, the ultimate audio patch bay and transport protocol converter. With smarter routing, conversion, and control, Lama Connect’s flexible architecture supports emerging protocols and evolving production demands in a single virtualized platform. A Swiss army knife of audio connectivity, Lama Connect enables seamless integration of multiple applications without adding latency in LAN, WAN or cloud deployments. Like the rest of the Lama suite, Lama Connect is scalable by design. Grow from a single Connect instance to a full-scale production network without reconfiguration or new hardware. Lama Connect is fluid, adaptable, and dependable.
Together, Lama AutoMix, Lama Mix and Lama Connect form a comprehensive and flexible audio production suite that unites automation, control, and connectivity into one software-based workflow. Lama redefines live and broadcast audio by moving beyond traditional hardware-bound systems to a fully software-defined, IP-native architecture.
Built from the ground up for cloud, on-prem, and hybrid environments, Lama enables scalable, distributed production workflows with seamless support for standards like Dante, AES67, NDI, and ST 2110. Its separation of control, processing, and I/O – combined with flexible VST-based signal processing and built-in resilience – gives audio teams unprecedented agility, creative freedom, and reliability. The result is a future-ready platform that empowers broadcasters and live producers to operate more efficiently, adapt quickly, and deliver high-quality audio from anywhere.
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Sennheiser HD 480 PRO Headphones
The HD 480 PRO are Sennheiser’s brand-new, top-of-the-range closed-back headphones for studio and live environments. They are an ideal choice for monitoring, producing, and recording, but also for mixing, which makes them Sennheiser’s most versatile professional headphones to date.
Designed with the utmost care and precision, they eliminate the two most-cited pain points of closed-back headphones by delivering a tight, accurate bass reproduction and ensuring supreme comfort for audio professionals, whether in the studio, in live audio environments or on the move.
To enable the user to fully concentrate on the audio and hear all detail, the HD 480 PRO feature multiple stages of passive sound shielding. Various design measures eliminate unwanted vibration, reflections and distortion, preserving the clarity of the signal. The ultralight voice coils of the HD 480 PRO ensure a remarkably authentic and dynamic reproduction.
The HD 480 PRO benefit from several Sennheiser-patented features:
Special Axes Geometry: The headphones’ mechanical design ensures they optimally adapt to the head and maintain an equal contact pressure, no matter what the shape of the user’s head. The listening experience is consistent across users.
Comfort zone for glasses: The ear pads do not press on the temples of glasses but rather have a soft zone, which ensures both good sealing and high comfort at the same time.
Blocking of cable-borne noise: Near the earcup, the connection cable features a coiled part, which effectively decouples the HD 480 PRO from any structure-borne or handling noise, such as transmitted when the cable hits the desk, for example.
To adapt to different set-ups, the detachable cable can be worn on the left or right side of the HD 480 PRO. This flexible cable routing is ideal for solo recording of instruments, for example, as it keeps the cable out of the way. To ensure accessibility, the left and right earcups are braille-marked. Engineered by Sennheiser’s experienced professional development team, the HD 480 PRO have been designed to last and deliver consistent results over time.
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Shure SLX-D+ Wireless Microphone System
The Shure SLX‑D+ Wireless Microphone System is a next‑generation solution designed to bring professional‑grade performance, advanced RF intelligence, and streamlined workflows to a wide range of users. Whether it’s a live performance, worship space, broadcast environment, classroom, or content creation setup, SLX‑D+ delivers the clarity, control, and dependability needed for today’s complex audio demands while remaining accessible for both experienced engineers and general consumers.
With expanded 138 MHz wide tuning across all system components, the SLX-D+ can deploy equipment across different domestic regions, venues, and frequency conditions. This not only reduces setup time but also minimizes inventory challenges for organizations managing multiple systems or locations. Its automated RF setup and interference management further reduce operational stress by continuously scanning and assigning clean frequencies, allowing users to stay focused on the event rather than troubleshooting spectrum issues.
Shure’s new ShowLink Ease technology brings the convenience of real‑time, two‑way communication between transmitters and receivers to the SLX‑D+ line. Once paired, the transmitter reconnects instantly each time it powers on, enabling remote parameter adjustments and automatic frequency changes without requiring physical access. This capability enhances workflow efficiency during rehearsals, live productions, or multi‑location events where on‑the‑fly adjustments are essential. While continuing to be managed via Shure’s Wireless Workbench (WWB) software, users will be excited to leverage SLX-D+ with the added flexibility of the WWB mobile app. The app supports Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, offering full visibility into gain, frequency scans, battery life, metering, and transmitter settings from anywhere in the venue.
The system’s 24bit digital audio ensures transparent, natural sound with consistency across environments and applications. Its advanced digital feedback reduction DSP automatically detects, suppresses and filter locks any nuisance frequencies, giving operators confidence even in acoustically challenging rooms. AES256 encryption adds a layer of security for corporate presentations, broadcasts, or any scenario requiring protected audio transmission.
SLX‑D+ also offers exceptional scalability and versatility. The new half‑rack dual receiver and backward compatibility with existing SLX‑D components allow organizations to expand or upgrade at their own pace. RF cascade enables up to three SLX‑D+ Quad Receivers to be linked without additional accessories, forming a compact and efficient 12‑channel wireless system. Audio summing on dual and quad receivers provides additional flexibility by allowing users to combine audio channels into one or two outputs, making it easier to integrate with mixer that have limited input availability.
Across all these features, the SLXD+ stands out as a reliable, forward-thinking wireless system that reduces technical complexity while elevating performance. By combining user friendly operation with pro-level audio quality, intelligent RF management, and mobile ready control, it empowers users to deliver consistent, interference free sound.
SLX-D+ offers a lasting return on investment through its adaptability, efficiency, and trusted Shure engineering, making it a standout choice for any modern wireless audio workflow.
