Just wondering whether anyone had any experience with this amp. I've read great things about it and it seems very cheap for what people say about it. As it has volume control does it need a pre amp if I only need one input from a DAC?
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When should you upgrade your hi-fi? How to control ‘upgradeitis’
Behringer A500
- Thread starter Tonymerritt
- Start date
Overdose
Well-known member
No preamp required in this situation.
The amp is to all intents and purposes transparent and there isn't a budget hifi amp to touch it.
You would need to spend a considerable amount to match it with a hifi amp.
It does not 'need' a pre-amp as it has seperate Left and Right volume controls, but in my experience, it does needs one. The amp can produce hum if you do not use the volume 'wide open' and controlled via an external source like a pre-amp.
I have used it in both a passive system as a power amp (with a variety of pre-amps) and it was good, for the price. Plenty of power and sounds OK, seems to sound a little bright/unrefined compared to other amps I have had.
I also used it as a power amp as part of an full DSP Active speaker, running mid-bass up to around 800Hz or so, and it was perfectly suited to that application. It also ran relatively cool, and is quite compact too.
You cant really go wrong with it for the price to be honest, but its no giant killer.
I have used it in both a passive system as a power amp (with a variety of pre-amps) and it was good, for the price. Plenty of power and sounds OK, seems to sound a little bright/unrefined compared to other amps I have had.
I also used it as a power amp as part of an full DSP Active speaker, running mid-bass up to around 800Hz or so, and it was perfectly suited to that application. It also ran relatively cool, and is quite compact too.
You cant really go wrong with it for the price to be honest, but its no giant killer.
Overdose
Well-known member
hoopsontoast said:
Define 'giant killer'. Lots of people use the phrase, but none give it any context.
THe A500 was tested (blind) and was indistinguishable from a multi thousand dollar power amp.
That'll do for me.
steve_1979
Well-known member
Overdose said:
It's so heavy that if you dropped it on a tall persons head it would probably kill them?
When it pushes a pair of Apogee Scintillas as good as a pair of Krell KRS 100 monoblocks, I'll call it a giant killer as well.
Overdose said:
I was referring to the hype/reputation it seems to have as being as good as some amps many times the price. As I said, its a good amp, if you need lots of power on the cheap, and can give it a decent preamplifier then you cant go wrong, for the price.
Its not however, in my experience, of using it in both a Passive and DIY Active System the be all and end all of amplifiers. I'm sorry if that does not agree with your outlook but thats my experience having actually owned a couple of them and used them in real life.
Its built to a price, and that shows. It has a nice large toroidal transformer but is not as well specified in the smoothing caps for example, also the build leaves a lot to be desired. I think there is a DIY mod to reduce the hum as well, balanced inputs might help but I did not have the facilities to try that.
One other thing to consider is the lifetime of them, they also have a reputation for going bang, now in my experience they were fine, left on for hours and did not get too hot in normal use. Given the huge quantaties they sell, its probably no supprise that there are more comments of reliablity but its something to take into account. IIRC they do come with a 3yr warranty from new though.
So in summary, its a good amp, for under £150 new, the amount of power and flexibility it has really is hard to beat.
Overdose
Well-known member
Overdose said:
Is there another £150 amp that offers its power output and flexibility?
I was not commenting that its 'hard to beat', at any price.
Some people *unknw*, I give a honest review of an amp that I have actually owned (two models too) and give an overally good impression but say at the end of the day its a decent £150 amp, but not the giant killer hype that a lot of people make it out to be.......
While slightly off topic, Behringer aim their products at the home studio / semi pro musician market. Their stuff is exceptional value for money. I use their measurement mic and a small Behringer mixer to provide the line power that the mic needs to work. I was amazed at how cheap it was.
When you start looking at the pricing of pro / semi pro audio equipment, it really does come as a shock the premium that we pay as 'audiophools' for hifi equipment.
When you start looking at the pricing of pro / semi pro audio equipment, it really does come as a shock the premium that we pay as 'audiophools' for hifi equipment.
Overdose
Well-known member
hoopsontoast said:
Define giant killer.
This is an amp that has compared favourably (actually indistinguishable) from much more expensive kit to the factor of ten, at least.
Overdose said:
Really not fussed to be honest, I've given my experience with the said amps that the OP was after.
If you want to prove its credentials (or whatever), then buy one, test it and use one.
Its a good amp, probably better than anything out there for the price, although I have not heard or tested any other cheap Pro/PA Amps to compare.
Hoopsontoast, how would you say the Behringer A500 sounded, compared to the Sony 670 or 770 ES in your systems?
Frank Harvey
Well-known member
lindsayt said:
The 670ES and 770ES are quite similar, but the 770ES has more power reserve and pretty much unflappable when it comes to matching it with speakers. I like how flexible it is with the amount of inputs and a very good MM/MC Phono Stage with a variety of loading settings for the cartridge. Its also massive (depth) and very heavy so dont go moving it too often!
The A500 was a bit more punchy in the bass, where as the 770ES was a lot smoother all round, refined, if you will.
One of the highlights with the 770ES was pumping out the Prodigy at one of the Scalford shows with my then Kord Tornado Monitors, absolutley brilliant. A match made in heaven, and what got me properly onto Volt Mid-Bass drivers that I then used in my DIY DSP Active system that used the A500.
Apart from that they are both very powerfull amps that will be suited to a wide variety of speakers, with the 670ES/770ES having the advantage of being integrated amplifiers so they dont need a Pre-Amplifier but the A500, although you 'could' use it as a single input amp, I would not, and prefer to have a decent Pre-Amplifier/DAC/Volume Controled Source in front of it.
The A500 is around £150 new, and the 670ES about the same Second Hand with the 770ES being around £200-£300 depending on condition (although prices seem to be rising). If you are looking at the best value, I would say the Sony models are simply as they are great integrated amps, where as the A500 is a good power amp.
Overdose
Well-known member
Frank Harvey
Well-known member
Read good things about it so if anyone needs cheap power and lots of it, I can't see any reason not to try it*
The unfortunate thing with 'pro' products (and there are as many levels as in home user products ie. I can't see Abbey Studios using Behringer), much of it *looks industrial and wouldn't exactly grace your average lounge.
Still, beauty is in the eye of the beholder unless it concerns me. I am just beautiful full stop.
regards
The unfortunate thing with 'pro' products (and there are as many levels as in home user products ie. I can't see Abbey Studios using Behringer), much of it *looks industrial and wouldn't exactly grace your average lounge.
Still, beauty is in the eye of the beholder unless it concerns me. I am just beautiful full stop.
regards
Freddy58
Well-known member
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