[cvictorg]

http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/A500.aspx

Good review in the Audio Critic

Behringer Amp
peteraczel | 02 December, 2005 20:23

http://theaudiocritic.com/plog/index.php?op=Default&blogId=1&&page=3

The lesson Behringer exemplifies is that large-scale production combined with professional engineering can result in very high-quality products of great complexity at an amazingly low price. Think computers. How much would a top-of-the-line Dell or Gateway cost if manufactured in the quantities of a Mark Levinson or Krell preamp? Probably half a million. Professional audio on the Behringer scale marches to a totally different drummer than high-end consumer audio. Products are engineered for functionality, not for image and talking points, and made in sufficient quantities to eliminate manufacturing inefficiencies. As a result, features and performance can often equal and sometimes even surpass the high-end consumer product. It’s something that wide-eyed audiophiles should be more aware of.

Conclusion

The Behringer A500 is an amazing phenomenon at the price. There is nothing else like it.

Anyone here ever use this amp?

[raysracing]

A bit over rated on power and 0.025% minimum distortion, but again for $199 can you really complain about that for 125 watts/channel into 8ohms?

[ehider]

This does seem like a fair bit of "clean wattage" for the almost zero money....but.....As to the product's actual sound capability, I personally would NOT trust the Audio Critic for any sonic advice via component reviews since they clearly as their mantra:

Quote from Audio Critic :

Absolute sonic transparency is a concept innocent audiophiles are uncomfortable with, believing that all audio components—CD players, preamplifiers, amplifiers, tuners, all of them—exhibit varying degrees of soundstaging, front-to-back depth, grain, air, etc. That it isn’t so.   

!. Really AudioCritic?

2. Absolute sonic transparency is just a concept?

3. None exhibit varying degrees of soundstaging, grain, air, etc? Really, are you guys serious?

I guess I must be one of those "innocent audiophiles" that has a belief system based on what I hear...verified via serious controlled double blind testing no less. 


 

[jackman]

Confession - after reading that piece (of what I'll tell you later) from the Audio Critic, I tested my Crown K1 (the amp I use on my subs) on my monitors and it was not pretty.  They played loud but the sound was not pleasant and nowhere near the great sound I am getting with a modest Coda amp.  I'm guessing the same is true of the Behringer.  Pro amps are good for subwoofer duty but not a good choice for critical listening.  You are better off getting a mid-fi Rotel, Parasound, etc., for critical listening.  If you want to step up to a higher level, a Coda, AVA, Odyssey or Aragon, etc., should sound even better. 

I was hoping my pro amp sounded good enough to use on my monitors (I read a review online!) but it was not the case.  I'm guessing you would find the same thing if you compared that Behringer to any number of mid-fi amps (on your monitors).  For sub duty, a pro amp can be great.  My Crown has lots of power but anyone with decent hearing could tell the difference immediately if it's powering monitors.  I like to save money, but, IME using a pro amp for critical listening did not give me acceptable results.  Not even close.   

One last thing.  The Audiocritic is like 90 years old.  There is a good chance he is actually deaf.   

[Letitroll98]

And note the Behringer A500 is not an amp they designed, it's a Chinese sourced product.  As I understand from reports only, no first hand knowledge, it's not all that bad for the price.  I agree with jackman about the general quality in this class of amp, but this one "hits above it's weight" from what I've heard (oh, I love that cliche).  I think it would be fine for a cheap and cheerful system, either starter or office.  Having said that, if you asked me, I'd recommend the $175 class D amp in these pages or jackman's aforementioned used mid price amp ahead of the Behringer.

[Russell Dawkins]

My son just ordered one of the new Behringer iNuke NU1000 amps for $199 to play his bass through. I will be interested in hearing how it sounds through good speakers, though, because if it's decent a pair of them would be a very cheap high powered rig. It is one of the few amps that is rated to play into 4 ohms when in bridge mode. It's rated at 1000 watts into 4 ohms bridged or 2X500w into 2 ohms, 2X300w into 4 ohms.
http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/NU1000.aspx

We'll see - the amp isn't here yet.

[corndog71]

Every pro amp I've heard sounded like crap on high performance speakers.  The most noticeable flaw being irritating treble.  It's the hallmark of cheap amps. 

[Wallacefl]

If you can find one that has not been run under water so to speak...a Carver PM 1.5 is really good.

[HT cOz]

For that kind of money, I think it would be really difficult to beat one of these C&C Ice Amps. Then save your coins for a Dodd Buffer! .

[JLM]

For audiophile use, the Behringer DCX2496 and DEQ2496 have been used for EQ and low signal level crossovers in some rather high end systems.

I use a Scott Endler modded (DAC section only) DEQ2496 with my single driver speakers to replace baffle step circuit, add a bit of speaker/room EQ, and allow for the most direct connection of my monoblocks to each driver.  Sorry, never listened to the DAC before mods, but with mods it matched the Eastern Electric DAC.  BTW Scott's mods cost less than $300 and the DEQ2496 is under $400 last I looked.

The Behringer active studio monitors get mid-stream marks from reviewers in their price ranges.