Behringer power amps

[dincz]

Just been browsing for power amps and the Behringer EPQ series look like like very good value. EPQ450 - 450W, EPQ900 - 900W. On digging a bit further, I found some more detailed specs in the downloadable Quickstart Guide. The first thing I noticed is that the advertised power ratings are peak rather than continuous (which is presumably what Behringer call RMS).
[attachment=63022:Behringer_specs1.jpg]

The next oddity is that the EPQ series are not really a series but totally different designs - Class D, Class AB, Class H. All they have in common are the box and the switch-mode power supply.
[attachment=63023:Behringer_specs2.jpg]

The thing that really puzzles me is that the EPQ900 delivers 390W (peak)/channel into 4 ohms, but 900W bridged into 8 ohms. Where do the extra 120W come from? Is this some kind of weirdness of Class H? Or have Behringer's marketing people just pulled figures out of the air?

Edited November 4, 2010 by dincz

[Ian Savage]

[quote name='dincz' post='1011843' date='Nov 4 2010, 11:34 AM']Or have Behringer's marketing people just pulled figures out of the air?[/quote]


This, I'd suspect - when I was working for a major UK audio manufacturer we tested and pulled apart a lot of Behringer kit to see how they were making stuff with such good paper specs for so little money. The answer was, the specs were largely b0ll0cks and the gear was cheaply made with low-grade (potentially unreliable) components.

I still like their old Composer compressors, and the ADA 8000's a handy bit of kit, but I wouldn't trust their powered stuff further than I could kick it. Get yourself a decent secondhand US/UK-made QSC, Crown, Peavey or Studiomaster amp instead.

All IMO, obviously.

[danhkr]

[quote name='Ian Savage' post='1011883' date='Nov 4 2010, 11:59 AM']This, I'd suspect - when I was working for a major UK audio manufacturer we tested and pulled apart a lot of Behringer kit to see how they were making stuff with such good paper specs for so little money. The answer was, the specs were largely b0ll0cks and the gear was cheaply made with low-grade (potentially unreliable) components.

I still like their old Composer compressors, and the ADA 8000's a handy bit of kit, but I wouldn't trust their powered stuff further than I could kick it. Get yourself a decent secondhand US/UK-made QSC, Crown, Peavey or Studiomaster amp instead.

All IMO, obviously.[/quote]

+1

Behringer are great for cheap gizmo's, recording gear, effects etc, but I'd never use any of their amplification unless it was literally all I could afford. You get what you pay for springs to mind.

[Beedster]

I had the misfortune of rehearsing through a Behringer a couple of weeks back. I was shocked at just how bad it was, and no amount of EQing made the slightest difference. Truly bad

C

[Delberthot]

[quote name='dincz' post='1011843' date='Nov 4 2010, 11:34 AM']The thing that really puzzles me is that the EPQ900 delivers 390W (peak)/channel into 4 ohms, but 900W bridged into 8 ohms. Where do the extra 120W come from? Is this some kind of weirdness of Class H? Or have Behringer's marketing people just pulled figures out of the air?[/quote]


They've pulled the figures out of their ass

[stevie]

[quote name='Delberthot' post='1013372' date='Nov 5 2010, 02:50 PM']They've pulled the figures out of their ass[/quote]
Arse is spelled a-r-s-e.

[GarethFlatlands]

[quote name='Beedster' post='1013338' date='Nov 5 2010, 02:13 PM']I had the misfortune of rehearsing through a Behringer a couple of weeks back. I was shocked at just how bad it was, and no amount of EQing made the slightest difference. Truly bad

C[/quote]

I used their bass cabs a few years ago, the ones with aluminium cones. The cones came away from the surrounds after very modest use and continued to disintegrate very quickly until one went bang and took my Warwick head with it. Wouldn't ever touch their stuff again.

[markstuk]

A little harsh - both my Amcron (Crown) and TOA Power amps produce more power bridged than in stereo.. Don't know why though..

Cheers

Mark

[quote name='Delberthot' post='1013372' date='Nov 5 2010, 02:50 PM']They've pulled the figures out of their ass[/quote]

[Wilco]

I don't know if they still sell it, but I used an EP1500 for a while.

It was surprisingly good to be honest. Very loud, noise free, & a very transparent clean sound. I read somewhere an article by an electronics engineer who said that model was well put together too - certainly mine was totally trouble free.

(I coupled that with their Bass V-amp pro - ran two Ashdown cabs in parallel as both the EP1500 & V-amp had two channels. I recall in someway using the EP1500 low pass filter too on one channel & on the 'Rock 2' setting of the V-amp, I ended up with a pretty good & usable 'Ampeg' like sound. I have a Hartke/Ashdown (different cabs) rig now & tried a few others in between, but I wouldn't say that Behringer set up was a dog. It did alright for the money)

[Dood]

[quote name='Delberthot' post='1013372' date='Nov 5 2010, 02:50 PM']They've pulled the figures out of their ass[/quote]

[quote name='stevie' post='1013444' date='Nov 5 2010, 04:03 PM']Arse is spelled a-r-s-e. [/quote]

No honestly, they have a paddock loving, carrot crunching pet called Eyore. It's where they keep all their most important documents, including power ratings,

[JPJ]

I bought a pair of their Eurolive powered SRM450 clones for rehearsal. They were bloody good for what I paid and the band I bought them for still use them as foh coupled with a Behringer powered bin.

For anybody starting out either with foh or back line, the behringer stuff is a good low cost option. Sure, it isn't going to perform like Mackie Db Ampeg etc but it is a fraction of the price. Reliability can be an issue, but this can also be an issue on far more expensive kit.

If your looking for low cost starter gear you'd be mad not to try it.

[LawrenceH]

Not sure about fancy-pants Class D and H designs, which I'd imagine to be quite expensive to make well, but a lot of sound guys with semi-serious set-ups push out the low end watts with things like the EP1500 - they have quite a solid reputation, and reputedly their 2ohm claim is a bit more realistic than most cheap/mid-priced stuff. It's a bit like that LH500 by Hartke - tried and tested old technology put together using cheap labour, the main downside is that they're comparatively heavy by modern standards.
+1 to the old composer comment above btw, I felt they punched above their weight.

Edited November 11, 2010 by LawrenceH

[stevie]

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='1019568' date='Nov 11 2010, 12:40 AM']Not sure about fancy-pants Class D and H designs, which I'd imagine to be quite expensive to make well, but a lot of sound guys with semi-serious set-ups push out the low end watts with things like the EP1500 - they have quite a solid reputation, and reputedly their 2ohm claim is a bit more realistic than most cheap/mid-priced stuff.[/quote]
I've not had much luck with Behringer gear myself, but I have to agree with Lawrence that their power amps, whilst certainly not the ultimate, have a good reputation with pro and semi-pro sound companies where budgets are tight.